Running the football and taking it away on defense with the quarterback in the sidecar.

Sound familiar?

The old-school Bears formula for victories is back. The Bears are winning, and their four-game win streak is the longest we’ve had since 2018.

Yet, the question I get the most is whether I’m worried about Caleb Williams and some of the issues he’s dealing with.

The answer is no, and here’s why.

After the Bears choked away the opener against the Vikings, they were completely outclassed by the Lions, losing 52-21. In a span of five quarters between those two games, the defense allowed an unheard of 73 points.

We were all thinking, “same old Bears”.

In the four games since then, and in 16 quarters of football, Dennis Allen’s unit has allowed just 19 pts per game.

Massive improvement, development, and wins. We went from wondering if the Bears would win four games all year to a four-game win streak.

It doesn’t stop there.

During this streak, the peripherals continue to get better. The Bears outlasted the Raiders 25-24 but allowed an embarrassing 240 yards rushing and 7.7 yards per carry. So Allen got to work during the bye and found something. In the next two games, Allen’s defense has allowed 168 yards combined on 3.8 yards per carry. Yes, the Bears’ “D” has been fueled by turnovers, but the unit continues to tangibly improve in other areas, and it’s refreshing. Allen was rewarded with a game ball against the team that fired him.

The same transformation has happened on the offensive side. Heading into the bye, the Bears had one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL. Fans were brainstorming trades to land a new running back. It was then that Ben Johnson exonerated D’Andre Swift and blamed everyone else, including himself, for the poor run game. Since that time, the Bears have rushed for 376 yards while averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

It’s okay to be amazed by the progress considering the scars of the past.

In 2014, the Bears got beaten 51-23 by the Patriots. The bye week followed, and yet the Bears were whipped by the Packers 55-14.

Last year, the Bears were 4-2 heading into the bye, and then infamously lost 10 games in a row.

As fans, we’re so conditioned to think that when the Bears play bad football, they can’t get better. Johnson and his coaching staff are proving it is possible, even at Halas Hall.

Not only are the Bears winning, but they’re winning because of coaching.

And that brings us back to Caleb.

As it stands now, he is on pace for a pretty good 3,828 yards, 26 TDs, and 9 INTs. Yet, our eyes tell us that Williams is still inaccurate, doesn’t always play on time and scrambles too often. Caleb told Jason McKie after the win against the Saints that while the Bears are winning, he isn’t playing winning football.

The most important thing going forward is knowing that Williams is on his way to becoming the star he was drafted to be.

This will lead to sustained success.

I believe more than ever that it’s going to happen. This isn’t blind faith but instead a testament to what the coaching staff has already proven. Remember, one of the main reasons Johnson wanted this job was because of Caleb. There’s no denying his talent, and even though Williams hasn’t launched into NFL stardom yet, he has made a lot of progress since camp began.

If you’ve been on social media, you’ve seen a young Jets fan go viral for telling the world that while he’ll always remain a fan, he hates his team. We know the feeling and have been there and done that. I believe those days are gone, thanks to Johnson and his staff. Like the run game and the defense, significant improvement with the quarterback is coming.

We’re not hoping just to hope anymore.

The proof is in the progress.

Enjoy it.

• Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the “Waddle & Silvy” show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.