Why Caleb Williams feels he excels when Bears are trailing in the fourth quarter of games

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams recorded six comeback wins after trailing in the fourth quarter of games from Week 1 through Week 16 of this season. He then saved arguably his best performance of the campaign for the evening of Jan. 10, when he helped the Bears erase an 18-point deficit and earn a 31-27 wild-card playoff victory over the rival Green Bay Packers. 

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Williams addressed why he has been able to outperform so many of his counterparts in clutch moments as a second-year pro.

Caleb Williams embraces "life or death" situations

"I feel calm in those moments," Williams explained, per Eric Edholm of the NFL's website. "I feel my conditioning is the best in those moments. I feel that I'm the best in those moments because of what I've prepared to be in those moments. For myself, it's just next play, next play, next play, and then when you have to go make a play, it's life or death in those moments."

According to Larry Mayer of the Bears' website, Williams tallied 184 passing yards in the fourth quarter of the win over the Packers. Those are the most yards accumulated by an NFL quarterback in the final quarter of a postseason game since Tom Brady went for 196 yards en route to helping the New England Patriots famously erase a 28-3 deficit during New England's Super Bowl LI win over the Atlanta Falcons. 

Caleb Williams has a short memory during games

"It's about the next play," Williams added. "It's about the mentality when we're in the moment. It's about honestly not wanting to go out that way and getting your tail whooped. Have a certain mindset, have a certain fight about you, and then it can either be one of your worst moments or one of your greatest moments."

First-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson noted that Williams doesn't need "a pep talk or a rah-rah or anything like that" when the Bears are trailing in the third or fourth quarter of a contest. That said, Johnson previously acknowledged the Bears "don't want to have to lean into" Williams becoming one of the league's top clutch performers overnight. 

Williams will attempt to give the Bears an early advantage when they host the Los Angeles Rams for a divisional-round playoff clash on Sunday. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Chicago as a 4.5-point underdog for that game. 

Considering how Williams has played, he may prefer that the Rams are betting favorites heading into the weekend.