SI

Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson Emphasize Why Bears' Win Over Packers Was So Special

It’s always exciting to beat your storied rival, especially in a highly contested playoff game.

Madison Williams

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was pumped after the team came back to beat the Packers in the wild-card round.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was pumped after the team came back to beat the Packers in the wild-card round. / Matt Marton-Imagn Images
In this story:

Heading into wild-card weekend, the Packers were vocal in wanting to face their bitter rival, the Bears. Chicago won the NFC North title to secure the No. 2 playoff seed, while Green Bay narrowly captured the No. 7 spot.

The noise coming from Green Bay’s locker room reached Chicago, and the Bears were ready to prove their rival wrong. And that’s exactly what they did on Saturday night.

The Bears trailed as much as 21–6 to the Packers early in the game, but eventually came back to win 31–27 in a down-to-the-wire thriller. That’s one way to silence your opponent.

FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark

Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams addressed the Packers’ previous comments in his post-game press conference with a simple yet iconic response.

“They wanted us, what I heard. They wanted it, they got it,” Williams said.

Bears coach Ben Johnson also responded to the chatter coming from Green Bay. He emphasized how special the win was to the Bears because of how confident the Packers felt about beating them.

“There was probably a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north to start the week— which we heard loud and clear—players and coaches alike,” Johnson said. “So this one meant something to us.”

The Bears will go on to play either the Eagles or the Rams, depending on who wins the Eagles–49ers game on Sunday.

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

feed

Published
Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

Home/NFL