Larry Mayer

The Bears' turnaround this season has been a collective effort that has spread like wildfire, but Caleb Williams knows who provided the spark.

"It starts with coach [Ben Johnson] and what he told us he was going to be for usand how consistent he was and how consistent he is," said the second-year quarterback. "And then from there, it's just the things that he provided us that ultimately are going to help us win: the details, the discipline and all those things. You put all those together, you start winning some ballgames."

Since opening the season 0-2, the Bears have won nine of 10 games, including their last five straight. They are the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff race with a 9-3 record and will battle the rival Packers (8-3-1) in Green Bay Sunday for first place in the NFC North.

While the Bears have surprised many outside Halas Hall, Williams was convinced this season would be a special one as early as the spring.

"I've felt that as soon as we started getting the guys in the building," he said. "Ben and I, we'd be up in the office [saying], 'We've got a special group here because we've got so many guys that care.' Early on, I felt that we had a real shot and just have got to keep working towards that."

Feel for the game

With cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon both returning to action last Friday in Philadelphia, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen did a masterful job of mixing and matching his players. Often employing a dime formation with six DBs, the defense generated two takeaways and allowed only two touchdowns in a 24-15 victory.

"You can tell [Allen] has done it for a long time at a high level," Johnson said. "That's what we're getting from him right now. He knows who to sync into, he knows how to put guys in advantageous spots. He's got a great feel for the game; of when to light them up versus when to play coverage and just rush four."

Four Bears DBs were on the field for every play against the Eagles: Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Nahshon Wright. Meanwhile, Gordon and Johnson played 67% and 61% of the snaps, respectively.

"[Allen] is really committed to getting the best guys out there," Johnson said. "We felt really good about our DB situation and what we were going to get from that opposing offense. We leaned into that dime package a little bit more. Each week's a little bit different, so we'll see what we've got in store this week.

"I think that's what he does best; he maximizes the skill set of his guys. For the entire building, I give them all credit, there is no 'woe is me, we don't have this, we don't have that.' That's not the case whatsoever. We've got really good players. Let's find a way to make this thing work with what we have."

Road graders

The Bears enter Week 14 ranked second in the NFL in rushing at 153.8 yards per game. With 283 yards rushing Nov. 2 in Cincinnati and 281 yards in Philadelphia, they've topped 250 yards in two away games this season for the first time since 1968. The rest of the NFL has combined for only one such road game this year.

"It's been a good thing because when you're on the road, certainly the crowd can be a factor, and so you need to be a little bit more under center, potentially, just so you can get off the rock all at the same time," Johnson said. "Or if you're in the gun, you're on the silent cadence, and so maybe that plays a factor into it.

"But each and every week we try to look to develop a run game, and if it's there, I'll lean into it a little bit more early on in the game and go from there."

Spirited rivalry

Growing up in the Chicago areawith a father who was on the Bears practice squad in 1993tight end Cole Kmet knew all about the fierce rivalry with the Packers long before he joined his hometown team in 2020.

"Growing up here in Chicago, it's a game that I watched year-in and year-out," Kmet said. "Being in the area, you do get a lot of Chicago fans but also a lot of people who ventured down from Wisconsin and are Green Bay fans here in the Chicagoland area. It sparks a lot of family debate and a lot of spirited debate between those people.

"My best friend, who was in my wedding, is a big Packer fan. He still won't wear my jersey. He'll wear it out of the country, that's it. At the end of the day, it's a lot of fun for me and a lot of fun for my family. My sister's boyfriend plays for them, Lukas Van Ness. There's a lot to it. I have a lot of fun with it. It's spirited."