5 special plays from Caleb Williams against the Vikings that Bears fans should be thankful for

Normally on Monday, football fans focus on wins and losses. Here at FanSided, we often break down the key plays that led to each game's outcome from Sunday, as well as the players and coaches most responsible.

We're not going to be doing that today, at least not for the Chicago Bears. What we are going to be doing is talking about how special Caleb Williams is, and with just a few days to go until Thanksgiving, why Bears fans should forget about the losing streak their favorite team is on and focus instead on a rookie that is becoming everything we hoped he would be right before our eyes.

Let's get everything else out of the way so that we can focus on what really matters in the grand scheme of things. The Bears lost yesterday, yet again in heartbreaking fashion. Once again Cairo Santos had a field goal blocked, though this time he made his kick at the end of regulation, which sent the game to overtime.

The team was sloppy in committing seven penalties for 80 yards, including multiple flags on Jaylon Johnson as he battled stud Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson for much of the day. The rest of the defense was even worse, giving up big plays on the ground to Aaron Jones and a career day through the air to Jordan Addison.

This continues a disturbing trend that began with the failed Hail Mary defense against the Commanders (who fell short on almost an identical try yesterday because the Cowboys actually defended it well). The defense was the best part of this team through the first two months of the season, but has completely fallen off the cliff.

It may sound disingenuous, but it's true — I truly do not care about the defense right now. The Bears aren't making the playoffs, so wins and losses are of secondary importance. If anything, every defensive shortcoming and every heartbreaking loss only further solidifies the need to move on from Matt Eberflus after the season is done, so as much as I always root for the Bears to win, I can still recognize in hindsight that Sunday's game went about as well as Bears fans could have possibly asked for. All that matters is keeping Caleb Williams healthy so that he can continue to grow. And man is he growing right before our eyes.

To highlight just why Bears fans should be so excited about their rookie quarterback, let's look at five plays from Sunday's game that, taken individually, could provide a kernel of hope to the quarterback-starved fanbase, but, taken collectively, are clear proof that the Bears got it right when they selected the former USC quarterback number one in the most recent NFL Draft.

Caleb showed off his athleticism on a critical 4th down run

With under nine minutes left, the Bears were down 24-10 and facing 4th and 4 from the Vikings 20-yard-line. A field goal wouldn't put much of a dent in the two-touchdown deficit, so going for it was an easy call.

Failing to convert would have effectively ended the game, as the Bears hadn't done much to slow down Minnesota's offense all day. Caleb refused to go down without a fight, though, and he pulled this out of his hat:

The Vikings showed pressure at the line but only rushed three, with linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel staying in to spy on Caleb. This is exactly the kind of look that can force even an experienced quarterback into throwing an interception to a hot read that he doesn't realize is covered, but Caleb didn't take the bait.

Even with only a three-man rush though, the Vikings were still able to collapse the pocket, and here's where Caleb showed off his creativity and athleticism, as he hurdled the fallen body of a Minnesota defensive lineman before making a beeline for the sideline. Caleb's speed and ability in the open field aren't usually the first things mentioned when discussing his skill set, but he's used his legs to great effect this year, especially in the last two weeks as new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown has empowered him to run when he sees an opening.

Teven Jenkins provided the assist with a clutch block of Van Ginkel, and Caleb did the rest as he extended the drive with a first down.

Caleb showed off his slipperiness in the pocket before finding Keenan Allen for a late touchdown

Trailing by 11 with under 30 seconds left, the game appeared to be all but over, but Caleb didn't get that memo.

On this play, he ducked under the pass rush before rolling out. The Vikings, well aware by now of his rushing ability, all charged him, which left Keenan Allen wide open in the back of the end zone.

Though Caleb has found success this year when using his legs, one of his best attributes is that he always keeps his eyes downfield whenever he scrambles. Most young quarterbacks would have panicked once they evaded the first rusher and tried to run for the goal line (though it should be noted that many quarterbacks would have just been sacked immediately). The Vikings would have stonewalled Caleb if he tried to run it in himself, but because he kept his eyes up, he had the presence of mind to find Allen for the touchdown.

Caleb followed this play up with a dart in the back of the end zone to DJ Moore for a two-point conversion, and the best part about it was how pumped he was after making the throw. The Bears still needed a miracle to get back in the game, but Caleb's will to win shone through. That's the kind of leader I want.

Got your tickets to the gun show? Caleb does.

More than ever in the modern NFL, it's helpful to have a mobile quarterback. Look at most of the top QBs in the league — Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, to name a few — they all share the ability to make things happen with their legs. We've seen already that Caleb has the mobility to make incredible plays outside of structure, but sometimes the most satisfying thing a quarterback can do is fit a laser beam into a tight window. Behold:

Keenan Allen was Caleb's most-targeted player on Sunday, as he had 15 balls come his way. Without going back to look at each one, I can promise that this one had more mustard on it than the rest.

The hairs stood up on my arms when Caleb uncorked this throw, because there just aren't many quarterbacks in the league that would not only have the confidence to attempt such a tight throw, but have the arm strength to actually get the ball there.

Caleb stepped up in the pocket when he felt the rush coming behind him and let this one rip, and the result was a 40-yard gain, the Bears' biggest play of the day.

What's most impressive was that Caleb's rocket left Van Ginkel, the only player in the NFL with multiple pick-sixes this year and one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL, face-down and helpless on the turf. Van Ginkel took throws from Daniel Jones and Aaron Rodgers to the house earlier in the year, but Caleb, who has now gone five straight games without throwing an interception, had other ideas, and his arm talent was enough to win this battle.

Arm strength + touch = clutch

Some quarterbacks have the arm to throw the ball through a brick wall, but don't have the touch necessary to make the right throws in the right situations. On his final throw of regulation, Caleb proved that he not only has the arm strength, he knows how to use it.

After scoring to cut the deficit to three and recovering an onside kick, the Bears were still in a tough spot. Only 21 seconds remained in the game and they needed at least 20 yards to have a chance at a game-tying field goal. Oh, and they also had no timeouts left, which meant that if they were tackled inbounds, they'd have to run up and spike the ball to save the final few seconds.

The Vikings knew what the Bears were trying to do, but as the old saying goes, there's no defense for a perfect throw. There's so much to love about this play, from Caleb climbing the pocket and subtly moving to his left as he sensed the rush coming from his right, to him stepping up and firing a throw to DJ Moore on the deep in that had the RPMs to get there before the safety could close on it, to him throwing the ball high enough that the underneath coverage couldn't reach it.

This is a big boy throw in as high-pressure a situation as you'll find in the regular season, and Caleb made it look easy. I remember his detractors before the NFL Draft pointing towards him crying after losing to Washington as a sign of weakness, but to me it just showed that this is a guy that wants to win more than anything. Just as he did after converting the two-pointer a short time earlier, Caleb was pumped as hell. That's what I want in my quarterback.

Three times in the last five weeks, Caleb has had the ball with one final chance to get the Bears even or take the lead, and every time he's led them down the field to give them a shot. Defense, special teams and coaching have let the Bears down during this losing streak, but Caleb has done his part and then some.

If this whole football thing ever falls through, Caleb could have a promising career as a magician

We watch sports because we never know when something will happen that makes us jump out of our seats in astonishment. Think of Saquon Barkley's reverse hurdle or Garrett Wilson's ridiculous one-handed catch, both from Week 9. Caleb submitted his own entry for play of the year on Sunday.

We've seen the touch, we've seen the gun, we've seen the athleticism and we've seen the clutchness. How about a play that anybody not named Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes wouldn't even be crazy enough to try, let alone make?

Caleb showed everything that makes him special on this throw to D'Andre Swift, from his escapability to his unbelievable vision to his fearlessness. This entire play is insane, and a big reason why Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told Caleb after the game that it sucks that he has to go against him for a while.

The Bears keep losing, and there's no getting around the disappointment of seeing a season that once seemed so bright fall apart. That can't take away from the fact that the future is bright in Chicago though, because the Bears have Caleb Williams and 31 other teams don't. Caleb set the Bears rookie record for passing yards and touchdowns on Sunday, but this is just the beginning.