Chicago Bears coordinators met with reporters at Halas Hall on Thursday as the team returned to the practice field in preparation for the Green Bay Packers.

It’s a big week for the Bears, to say the least. Not only is it their first matchup of the season against their longtime rivals. But it’s also another opportunity to prove to the rest of the NFL that they deserve to be at the top of the NFC.

A win on Sunday would go a long way in proving that on top of making their road to the playoffs much easier. Here are three of the most interesting things the Bears said Thursday.

On Caleb Williams as a game manager

A major reason why the Bears hired head coach Ben Johnson over the offseason was to develop quarterback Caleb Williams to his full potential. Yes that includes Williams completing passes at a more consistent rate. But that also involves Williams managing Johnson’s offense well, including dissecting what the defense is showing.

Johnson told reporters earlier in the week that he felt Williams showed how much he grew in that area against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday. It showed in the stat sheet. The Bears’ offense committed one pre-snap penalty, a false start by left guard Joe Thuney.

It’s been a credit to Williams becoming more comfortable in Johnson’s offense. Much like the Bears have seen growth in passing, they’ve seen it in his managing too.

“I think he’s doing a pretty good job of managing our offense and operating it the way we want him to operate it,” Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said. “We can continue to improve in that area, we can find completions, get the ball to our guys with a runner’s ball with great ball location and allow them to go make plays. But certainly you see him grow every single week the last three weeks included.”

Part of Williams’ growth in the manager role has been the Bears making it easier for him to identify what defenses are presenting before a play. Doyle said the key was to make sure that one player’s plate, including Williams’, wasn’t overloaded with too much information to be responsible for when it’s time to play.

Chicago has spread out the responsibility throughout the offense to make it more of a group effort.

“That’s something we think about very early in the week,” Doyle said. “That’s being able to spread some of that onto, whether it’s [center] Drew Dalman or that’s wide outs, tight ends - whatever that is - but everybody being able to be on the same page from a communication standpoint, go out and practice it so that when we get out there Sunday, they’re just playing fast and going.”

On Nahshon Wright’s honor

Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright earned a honor Thursday in recognition of the career season he’s in Chicago. The NFL named Wright the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for November.

The honor came after Wright had a big month for the Bears. He forced five turnovers, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries last month. No turnover was bigger than the forced fumble he caused against the Eagles on their tush push attempt that changed the game’s momentum.

“He’s been huge for us,” Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. “Again, he’s a guy that really kind of had to step up in the absence of a couple other guys, and he stepped up in a big way for us. He continues to find his way around the football, continues to make plays, and really that’s what this game is about.”

Chicago’s bet on Wright has paid off in a big way. The team signed Wright to a one-year contract in April a day after the Minnesota Vikings released him. Since then, he’s stepped in for an injured Jaylon Johnson for most of the season and intercepted a career-high five passes, the second-most in the NFL.

The Bears felt Wright had untapped potential when he came to Chicago. It’s been reached more than anyone could’ve expected.

“I think any time you’ve got a guy that’s got talent and intelligence and they’re willing to work, those guys get better,” Allen said, “And that’s exactly what he’s done. He’s come in every single day, put his head down, went to work, tried to do the things we’re asking him to do. And I think he’s reaping some of the benefits, and we’re reaping some of the benefits of that.”

On preparing for cold, windy weather

It didn’t take long to realize that the wind would impact Friday’s game. Gusts around 23 miles per hour howled around the Lincoln Financial Field for most of the game, making it difficult to pass and kick the ball.

Johnson and his special teams unit noticed too. When the Bears won the coin toss before the game, Johnson decided to receive the ball so Chicago would be going with the wind in the fourth quarter. The move worked as the Eagles struggled moving the ball against the wind with the game on the line.

“Every time, wind is always a factor in our stadium and it was in [Philadelphia] as well, so we have to make sure we have a really good gauge on that,” Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. “That’s something we take a lot of pride in, especially for special teams, because weather, it matters a ton.”

The weather will matter for the rest of the regular season as the Bears make their playoff push. All five of Chicago’s remaining games will be outside. Three will take place at Soldier Field and then one at Green Bay and San Francisco each.

“I think he’s doing a pretty good job of managing our offense and operating it the way we want him to operate it. We can continue to improve in that area, we can find completions, get the ball to our guys with a runner’s ball with great ball location and allow them to go make plays. But certainly you see him grow every single week the last three weeks included.”

—  Declan Doyle, Bears offensive coordinator

Playing at Lambeau in December always has its challenges. The forecast predicts it will be a high of 19 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday with winds around five to 10 mph. But Hightower said his approach doesn’t change because of the time of year or where the Bears are playing.

“This time of year when it’s all outside, that’s something we relish in,” Hightower said. “We like it a lot. My process pregame is really no different than any other game and that really starts during the week, gaging the weather, trying to see what it’s going to be like, getting a feel for the conditions, getting a feel for the wind, something that we always talk about. So that’s really my process.”