Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur certainly isn’t short-changing the development he has seen from second-year quarterback Caleb Williams ahead of his team’s matchup with the division-leading Chicago Bears in Week 14.
During his December 1 weekly press conference, LaFleur was asked about Williams — the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 — and the difference he has seen in him between his first and second seasons with Chicago. He didn’t even let the reporter finish fully asking his question before jumping in with his honest assessment of the Bears’ signal-caller.
“He’s done a great job,” LaFleur said of Williams. “He’s kind of like a magician back there in terms of his escapability. Getting ready for some of these games and watching the crossover tape, just how he is able to avoid sacks and negative plays, situations, has been pretty impressive.
He’s obviously a very strong guy, and he has great quickness and speed as well. He’s a real, true dual-threat kind of guy in regards to his ability to move the sticks with his legs or make those off-schedule plays. There’s not a throw on the field he can’t make. And I think he’s done a really good job of taking care of the football this year as well. We’ve seen a ton of growth, as much as any quarterback in this league, from Year 1 to Year 2.”
Caleb Wiliams Has Shown Encouraging Signs for Bears
Williams is far from a perfect quarterback midway through his second NFL season, but LaFleur is right about the growth the second-year quarterback has shown in 2025.
While accuracy issues are still a problem for Williams — who has completed just 58.1% of his passes in the first 12 games — he has grown progressively more comfortable in Ben Johnson’s new offense as the season has gone along and continues to prove that he is a good decision-maker with the ball in his hands in terms of avoiding big mistakes.
His escabability is also undeniable. LaFleur is not the first — and won’t be the last — to refer to Williams as a magician for the sack-evading magic that has kept several Bears drives alive this season. The moniker also serves Williams doubly for how he has kept his cool in the fourth quarter and engineered five comebacks, tying with Denver’s Bo Nix for the most fourth-quarter comebacks in the league this season through Week 13.
The Packers can still exploit Williams’ weaknesses, but best not to take him lightly.
Bears’ Run Game is ‘Best in the League Right Now’
The Packers also won’t be taking the Bears’ explosive run game lightly, either, when they welcome them to Lambeau Field for a flexed matchup between division rivals.
The Bears are coming off a dominant game against the Philadelphia Eagles in which they had two rushers — D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai — finish with at least 100 yards for the first time since Walter Payton and Matt Suhey reached the mark in 1985. Swift had 18 carries for 125 yards, while Monangai had 22 takes for 130 yards.
Both Bears running backs also scored touchdowns in the 25-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champions, underscoring another challenge the Packers face in Week 13.
“These two backs are really good,” LaFleur said. “It allows those guys to stay fresh. If somebody is really having a great day, you can kind of feed the hot hand. Obviously, they had two guys to go over 100 yards. In an NFL game, that’s pretty rare. It’s a credit to everybody. They’ve certainly added some pieces up front. I think those tight ends, they block their ass off, and the receivers get involved in the run game as well.
“It’s a collection of all of those guys and it’s going to be a great challenge because they’re the best in the league right now at doing it.”
The Packers (8-3-1) will host the Bears (9-3) at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 7.
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