Caleb Williams explains how Bears have a different 'vibe' this season

Last season, the Chicago Bears won a total of five football games. This season, they’ve already won five games and it’s only Week 10. Star quarterback Caleb Williams recently explained how this year’s team differs from last year’s iteration.

"I think it's just a different year, different vibe," Williams said. "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."

Obviously, the one major change that the Bears made over the offseason was naming Ben Johnson as the new head coach. So far, the move has looked like a wise one, and Johnson credited the caliber of the locker room for the team’s improvement.

"This particular team in years past would find ways to lose games, and now we're finding ways to win games," Johnson said. "So I think they're looking to change that narrative. Now that we've done that, we've got to continue to develop that killer instinct. We're going to continue to get better there. But I think it's a really good group.

"I can't say enough good things about our locker room,” he added. “We really have zero issues with discipline or anything of that nature. These guys just want to come out and play ball and win games and be there for their teammates. Usually, you've got some bad apples in there, but we really don't. We have just a really strong locker room."

Williams’ development has also helped the Bears turn things around. Through eight games this season, Williams has increased his passing yards per performance by nearly 30 yards per game compared to last season. He’s also cut his sack percentage in half by getting rid of the ball quicker or by making plays with his feet.

There’s still plenty of room for improvement for the franchise QB, but Johnson has been encouraged by the growth that he’s already seen. He’s predicting a big second half of the season for Williams.

"I do think he's getting better every week," Johnson said of Williams. "There's ups and there's downs. And some weeks are better than others, which we knew. But he's in a lot better place now with his process than he was to start the season. The week isn't necessarily smooth sailing always, but I think that's to be expected with Year 1 in a new system.

“So he's learning, and he's spending a lot of time at it, so I'm very pleased with his approach. I think we've got the right group of guys around him to help support him. And so I think we're going to continue to see him take off here the second half of the season."

Chicago has a difficult stretch of schedule coming up to close out the season that includes games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and two games against the Green Bay Packers. It’s quite a gauntlet, but we’ll learn a lot about both the Bears and Williams between now and the end of the regular season.