Bears Have a Bright Future Despite Crushing Loss to Rams

On a night of what could have been, Chicago can take solace in the fact it still has something special with Caleb Williams.

Caleb Williams had a QBR of 72.2 despite throwing three interceptions, completing 23 of 42 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns. | David Banks-Imagn Images

There are so many questions after what was supposed to be a legendary night in Chicago. And I say legendary because I needed a stronger word than special, because it was still that—a special night—despite the playoff heartbreaker the Bears suffered in overtime against the Rams on Sunday. 

Let’s get to the questions, because the faster Bears fans process those, the faster they’ll be able to see all the good that came from a drama-filled 20–17 playoff classic at Soldier Field. I’m also having a hard time focusing on what went wrong because I just want to highlight the Bears’ special quarterback, who delivered the most jaw-dropping throws in the clutch the past two weeks.   

But we still have to ask all the whys, especially on Caleb Williams’s crushing interception that gave the Rams new life in overtime. Why did coach Ben Johnson call a shot play to DJ Moore when all the Bears needed was a walk-off field goal in overtime? Why didn’t Williams go away from the call with Moore being defended by Rams safety Kamren Curl? And for the biggest question: Why didn’t Moore complete the drag route? Did he not know the play? Did he misjudge how close Curl was to the ball? Why did Curl show more effort than Moore on the game-changing interception?

KAM CURL PICKS OFF WILLIAMS IN OT.

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Who knows what went through Moore’s mind, but if it was for a lack of effort, this costly play will stick with him for a long time, similar to Cam Newton not jumping on the ball against the Broncos during Super Bowl 50.   

As for one more question: Why didn’t Johnson call more plays that featured Williams’s strengths away from the pocket? But that final “why” needs to be flipped into a “how,” because if Johnson can figure out how to utilize Williams’s gifts away from the pocket—especially when they’re not trailing—they’ll be back in this position quickly, perhaps as soon as next year and for many Januarys to come. 

Ben Johnson ends his first year as Chicago’s head coach with a 12–7 record including playoffs. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Again, Williams is special. What Williams has done in this postseason hasn’t been seen since a prime Aaron Rodgers. This loss must be devastating for Bears fans, but they can at least take solace in knowing that their quarterback is being compared to Rodgers. There are a few quarterbacks who possess the elite skill set that Williams has, but he might be the only one capable of using his erratic ways to his advantage, somehow slowing down the game in the biggest moments to make never-seen-before throws.

Williams unleashed an absurd game-tying touchdown bomb on fourth-and-4 in the final 18 seconds of regulation, which was more of a fourth-and-45 play. The Bears’ second-year quarterback ran backwards close to midfield before delivering the filthy “14-yard” strike to tight end Cole Kmet that traveled 51 yards in the air. It wasn’t quite a legendary night in Chicago, but only those destined for legendary status can make those kinds of throws. 

I don’t care if I’m getting way too ahead of myself. I can’t be called a prisoner of the moment when Williams topped his fourth-and-8 jumpman pass to Rome Odunze in the thrilling come-from-behind wild-card victory against the Packers last week. Sunday’s throw to Kmet was better than the two game-winners to Moore against the Packers combined. And you can somewhat understand Johnson’s thinking on the downfield curl route to Moore because Chicago didn’t settle for a field goal to beat Green Bay in Week 16—Moore had a walk-off 46-yard touchdown catch in overtime. 

But Johnson will have to live with that decision to go for more when it was all set up for the Bears to produce another comeback victory in this special 2025 season. He also had a chance to go for more near the end of regulation, but Johnson passed on the two-point conversion and settled for overtime after Williams’s game-tying heroics. 

Overall, it was a rough first postseason for Johnson as a head coach, which wouldn’t have gotten to the second round if it weren’t for Williams’s heroics against Green Bay. It seems the Bears’ offense is at its best when playing from behind, because that’s when Williams has the green light to go off script and lean on his strong arm. Johnson’s creativity rarely appeared on the handful of head-scratching fourth-down decisions, including on fourth-and-goal from L.A.’s 2-yard line in the fourth quarter.  

It’s baffling that Johnson didn’t see Williams’s sensational performance against the Packers and think that he needed his young quarterback to be on the move more against the Rams. Williams didn’t start using his legs until the final quarter with a seven-point deficit. Yes, going away from the pocket leads to a higher chance of turnovers, but Williams still threw three interceptions with the game plan that kept him in the pocket. He finished 23-of-42 for 257 yards and two touchdowns, and added five carries for 40 yards.

But the good from Johnson throughout his first season in Chicago has this team in position to be a perennial playoff contender. Rams coach Sean McVay had a quick playoff exit in his first year in Los Angeles, losing to the Falcons in the wild-card round before coming back the following year to advance to a Super Bowl with Jared Goff.

And speaking of mind-melting throws, we’ve grown accustomed to Matthew Stafford’s no-look passes that curve like a baseball—he had a special throw to Davante Adams in overtime. For a moment, it appeared Williams was going to outplay the front-runner for MVP and one of the best quarterbacks of the past five years. 

Perhaps this heartbreaking night in Chicago can be remembered as the night Williams kept pace with a future Hall of Famer. Patrick Mahomes lost to Tom Brady in overtime of the AFC championship game during his first postseason. This could be the night that made the Bears want more, and not just on the curl route to Moore. 

The Bears should use this gut-wrenching overtime loss as fuel to build off something special, because that’s what this 2025 season was—special. 

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