Bear Digest

Game balls from Bears' triumphant Wild Card victory vs Packers

Chicago picked up its first playoff win in 15 years thanks in large part to these players.
Pete Martuneac|
Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

There are wins, playoff wins, and then there are franchise-altering wins. The Chicago Bears just experienced all three in one night as they pulled off an unbelievable comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. With this win, not only did the Bears end their rival's season and advance to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but they ended a shameful streak of 15-years without a playoff win. Most importantly, they just changed the tenor of the NFL's most historic rivalry.

The Bears now own the postseason head-to-head series with the Packers, 2-1, and have narrowed the gap in the overall series. Additionally, Caleb Williams became the first Bears quarterback since Jim Harbaugh in 1991 to beat the Packers twice in a season.

Taking this all together, it sure feels like the Packers' run of dominance against Chicago has come to an end. That's not to say that Chicago will now dominate the rivalry, but for the first time in decades, it feels like both the Bears and Packers are on equal footing.

This game will be talked about for years to come, but for now let's hand out some game balls.

1. Caleb Williams

Caleb "Iceman" Williams did to Packers fans on Saturday night what Aaron Rodgers did to Bears fans for the better part of 20 years: ripped their hearts out on the national stage and handed them a loss that will live in infamy. He clearly still has a long way to go before he can join the uppermost echelon of NFL quarterbacks, but Williams has become legendary with that rally past the Packers.

For his unbelievably gutsy performance and leadership, Williams gets this first game ball, and never has a game ball been more well deserved.

2. Colston Loveland

Few playoff debuts have gone better than Colston Loveland's. His eight catches for 137 yards made NFL history and were instrumental in keeping the Bears in this game. His development this season has been an incredible success story and is a testament to both his own talent and the ability of Chicago's coaches to get the most out of their players. Take a bow, rookie. This game ball is yours!

3. Ben Johnson

I was giving Ben Johnson a lot of grief for that first half, and it was deserved. It was arguably the worst half of football that Johnson had overseen as head coach of the Bears. However, this win is a reflection of him and the job he does. For the first time in 15 years, the Bears finally have the right head coach.

I also have to say how much I love what Johnson brings to this Bears-Packers rivalry. Packers fans (and perhaps even the players and coaches) seem to genuinely hate him, and to be quite frank, this rivalry has been missing some mutual hatred for some time now. The postgame handshake between Ben Johnson and Matt LaFleur went just about how you'd expect by now, and the NFL world loved it.

If LaFleur sticks around in Green Bay, we could be witnessing the greatest coaching duel in this rivalry's history since the days of George S. Halas and Curly Lambeau.

4. Ryan Poles

My last game ball goes to the general manager. Ryan Poles catches a lot of flak from Bears fans when things go wrong, so it's only right that he receive praise when things go well. This is the team and coaching staff that Poles built, and it's looking like the start of something truly special.

Ryan Pole
Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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