Bears QB Caleb Williams: There's a 'Different Vibe' in Chicago

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears are rolling, and the quarterback feels a difference in the team's play this year.

"I think it's just a different year, different vibe," Williams said on Wednesday, according to ESPN. "I think we've done a good job in some of those games; I would say that last year we didn't do a good job in close games, tight games. I think we've won those games, and now we need to get to the point where we're hitting on all cylinders as a team, all three phases of football, to be able to go out there and put up a lot of points and keep the other side with the least amount of points possible."

After blowing a two-score, fourth-quarter lead at home to the Minnesota Vikings and getting thumped by the Detroit Lions (52-21) in the first two weeks of the season, Chicago has won five of its past six games, improving to 5-3.

Three of those wins have been one-score affairs, highlighted by a chaotic, 47-42 victory on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9 that saw the Bears blow a 14-point lead with 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, but then win the game on a go-ahead, 58-yard touchdown strike from Williams to rookie tight end Colston Loveland with 17 seconds remaining. 

Through eight games, Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the 2022 Heisman Trophy Award winner, has totaled 1,916 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, four interceptions and a 93.5 passer rating, while completing 61.5% of his passes. He has also rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns. As a whole, Chicago is second in the NFL in rushing yards (144.4 per game), fourth in total yards (378.4 per game), sixth in points (26.9 per game) and 10th in passing yards (234.0 per game).

The other side of the ball has been more