Bear Digest

Bears and Caleb Williams become legendary with rally past Packers

The Bears QB says it's not the way they prefer but at this point no one is going to complain about comebacks as they rallied from 18 down to win 31-27 over Green Bay.
Gene Chamberlain|
Colston Loveland hauls in a pass in tight quarters during the second half of Saturday's 31-27 Bears win over Green Bay.
Colston Loveland hauls in a pass in tight quarters during the second half of Saturday's 31-27 Bears win over Green Bay. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

Ben Johnson told the Bears something profound at halftime Saturday night against Green Bay after they fell behind 21-3.

He told them to go "be legendary."

In the future, legends will say to go be like the 2025 Chicago Bears.

The comeback story continued with a seventh win in the final two minutes, 31-27, but this one was the biggest of all because it was the playoffs and because it was Green Bay.

"It was the only option we had was to go out there and be legendary, to go out there and execute, to go out there and do our part on the offensive side, defensive side and special teams," quarterback Caleb Williams said.

The legendary Bears were born of necessity. Not only did they overcome the 18-point deficit, they outscored the Packers 25-6 in the fourth quarter behind Williams' passing and a resurgent defense and did it so proficiently that they had the lead back by the time 1:43 remained on DJ Moore's 25-yard TD catch down the left sidelines.

Then they had to wait and watch the defense stop the Packers with  an incompletion in the end zone on the final play from the 23-yard line before the celebrating began. If the Eagles beat the 49ers Sunday, they'll host the Eagles next. If not, they host the Rams.

"If the game comes down to it, we're going to keep fighting," Williams said. "If the game comes down to the last play, if the game comes down to the last two minutes, I believe in us and that will keep going forever."

The fight intensified on the final drive Saturday night after they had only Cairo Santos field goals of 34 and 27 yards to show for the night's work while Jordan Love had carved up their defense for 323 yards and four touchdown passes.

"At the end of the day there really wasn't much talking to do," Jaylon Johnson said about the halftime talk. "They really was plainly whipping our ass. We just had to come out the second half and not say too much and just focus on execution."

Deficits only seem to encourage the Bears. You almost fear the day they get a big lead.

"The odds are stacked against us, and despite the fact we don't like the score at halftime, nobody does, no one envisioned the first 30 minutes going that way, yet we just keep plugging along and keep fighting," Ben Johnson said. "You know, we have proven that this year, that's who we are and what we do here at this point."

Williams threw for 361 yards on 24 of 48 with two TDs and two interceptions, eight of the catches for 137 yards going to Colston Loveland. Two were for 44 yards to Rome Odunze, including one huge throw on fourth-and-8 from the Bears 43 for 27 yards that extended a drive so Olamide Zaccheaus could catch an 8-yard TD pass and get the Bears within 27-24.

"I think when he (Williams) hit that one (to Rome) we were all like, all right, we're going to win this one," tight end Cole Kmet said. "He's a special player and it's awesome for him to show that on a national stage."

The Packers looked to push it back out to a six-point lead but Brandon McManus missed a 44-yard field goal.

With 2:51 left, Williams got his last chance for the win and heard Johnson on the headset.

"Coach said in the headset, 'I need you right here and go make a play kid,' and we went out there and did just that," Williams said.

He hit Loveland for 12 yards, and after a 6-yard Swift run, he found Swift on the right sideline wide open for a 23-yard gain and they were in field goal range. They wanted to go ahead, though.

Moore was on the left sideline and wide open after a pump fake for the TD  behind Carrington Valentine.

Like most of Johnson's plays, this one looked like another they had already run.

"Obviously the guys did a great job selling it," Williams said. "Obviously DJ made a great catch. Just put the ball out there for him to go make a catch or us and go win the game.

"Once we lined up I actually knew we were about to hit it."

When the final Packers pass to Matthew Golden wound up first in Kyler Gordon's hands and then on the ground in the end zone, bedlam ensued.

The legendary comeback Bears had done it again and Ben Johnson had his much discussed second win over Matt LaFleur this season.

"We've got the belief and faith," Williams said. "And that was something coach brought up in the locker room. There's been teams in this situation, we've been in this situation kind of all year. That's the frustrating part because we're such good team and we have such great coaches and such great players but to be in those situations and come out victorious it's no fluke.

"It's no 'Oh this happened,' we're lucky. We've done it multiple times this year."

It's time for everyone to just shrug their shoulders and accept it. The Bears are comeback kings. They rally. That’s what they do.

"I think it's our identity here at this point," Johnson said.

"Some people say it's not sustainable. I don't know. The takeaways are that's who we are on defense, and on offense it's explosive plays. That's kind of what we've done all year long, and coming up in big moments. As a team, it's just resiliency and knowing that late in the fourth quarter that's really when we're at our best as a football team."

That's when the legends come out.

X: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.