CHICAGO (670 The Score) — Bears quarterback Caleb Williams lives for the clutch moments. When the game is on the line and the pressure rises, he's calm, confident and ready.
Williams has explained that he can feel his heart beating slow and steady. He often cracks a smile on the sideline before stepping onto the field.
These days, the Bears are following Williams’ lead to victory. That was once again the case Sunday at Soldier Field, where Williams directed a pair of touchdown drives in the final six-plus minutes to lift the Bears to a come-from-behind 24-20 win against the Giants after Chicago had trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter.
“When the game is on the line and we need him to make a play, he has ice in his veins,” Bears veteran safety Kevin Byard said of Williams. “I think it's just the maturation, the growth that he’s been showing and the greatness that he has. I mean, he thrives in those scenarios. He doesn’t flinch at all. We know if the game is close, he’s going to make it happen for us.”
The Bears’ sixth victory of the season was similar to many of their first five. They produced an inconsistent, incomplete performance but overcame that with a relentless belief amid a thrilling finish.
Williams capped the Bears’ rally with a 17-yard touchdown run on a bootleg to the left with 1:47 remaining. It came after he led a nine-play, 91-yard touchdown drive minutes earlier, a drive that was highlighted by him scrambling for a 29-yard gain before finding receiver Rome Odunze on a two-yard touchdown pass.
The Bears’ offense struggled for much of the game before those final two drives, and their defense struggled to contain Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who exited the game at the start of the fourth quarter with a concussion.
But by no means did the Bears feel they were just fortunate once again. They believed they'd win if they kept fighting.
“We’re just believing in each other in this locker room,” Bears rookie receiver Luther Burden III said. “We don’t care who we’re against, we don’t care what the score is, as long as we play together and finish, nobody can stop us.
“I know (Williams) going to put it all on the line for us, for the team. We're trying to come back in the locker room celebrating. Whatever we got to do to do that, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Williams was 20-of-36 for 220 yards and his late touchdown pass to Odunze. He struggled with command at times, and Bears receivers dropped six passes in an uneven offensive operation. But when Chicago needed him most, there was Williams stepping up again.
Williams' two-yard touchdown pass to Odunze with 3:56 left came just after he was breathing heavily and showing a slight limp. He was hit repeatedly throughout this game and had just rushed 29 yards to the Giants' 2-yard line, even cutting back inside with the hope that he could score on the play.
Williams was absolutely exhausted, but the job wasn’t done. He flicked his wrist on a quick strike to Odunze, then put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. The Bears defense quickly forced a three-and-out, and Williams was called back out to the field just minutes later.
His stoic presence was on display as he stepped onto the field to lead the Bears on their game-winning drive.
“I can feel my body just kind of settle down,” Williams said. “I think that's important for me when I’m out there in those moments, but also the calmness, demeanor of when I’m in the huddle, looking those guys in the eyes, the belief, the faith, living in the known in those moments. It provides a certain level of confidence for us to be able to go out there and deliver.”
Williams has now led the Bears on four game-winning drives this season. He had just one as a rookie in 2024 – the go-ahead drive to beat the Packers in the season finale at Lambeau Field. That marked Chicago’s fifth and final win of the 2024 season. This team stands at 6-3 overall.
Though the Bears still haven't played their best football, they have a genuine belief in what’s to come each game and a quarterback in Williams driving them to victories.
“Culture is defined when you’re facing adversity,” Byard said. "We've faced adversity a ton this year, and we’ve been able to overcome every single time. That just lets you know what type of team we have. The belief is always there. I think we can kind of lean on that belief that when we get in these close games, we’re going to eventually come out on top.
“(Williams) lives for it. Playing in a city like Chicago, being the No. 1 overall pick, it’s nothing to him. He's been a great player his entire career. He doesn't flinch. I never see him being nervous or having any anxiety. He goes out there and just (is) himself. I think that’s the best thing about him, the best quality he has, is he’s himself. It may not look the way everybody wants it to look, but we're 6-3 and he’s been playing great ball for us.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.