Bears Used Patriots Comeback as Inspiration Before Playoff Win

Chicago Bears fans lived a core-memory kind of night during the NFC Wild Card round. Cardiac comebacks have basically become Chicago’s calling card this season, and their playoff stunner over the Green Bay Packers had a very familiar blueprint.

Down 21–3 and staring at a long night, the Bears didn’t blink. Instead, they flipped the script, storming back in a way that instantly brought Super Bowl LI vibes. It was shades of the New England Patriots’ legendary 28–3 escape act from 2017.

Tom Brady and Patriots’ clip fueled the Bears’ wild comeback

According to Bears head coach Ben Johnson, the seeds for Chicago’s comeback mentality were planted months ago. Back in training camp, the staff rolled out one very specific piece of film as a reminder of how fast games can flip.

The NFL took to social media to share the clip, writing, “Ben Johnson showed the Patriots 28-3 comeback to the @ChicagoBears during training camp”

Ben Johnson showed the Patriots 28-3 comeback to the @ChicagoBears during training camp 👀 pic.twitter.com/HJmUCoGaP2
— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026

“The one thing we did during camp was show the Atlanta and New England Super Bowl,” Johnson said.

The message was simple: no deficit is fatal if you stay locked in, trust the process, and keep stacking good snaps.

That game started exactly how you’d script a blowout. The Falcons came out swinging, jumping all over New England early and turning Soldier Field into a party. Atlanta moved the chains with ease, exploited breakdowns in coverage, and dominated time of possession. Meanwhile, the Patriots couldn’t find their footing offensively, settling for just a field goal before halftime and heading to the locker room in a brutal 28–3 hole.

Then halftime happened.

New England came out with clear answers. The tempo picked up, the protection around Tom Brady tightened, and the offense leaned into quick-game concepts and efficient drives. On defense, Brady and the Patriots cranked up the pressure, squeezed throwing windows, and forced Chicago into rushed reads and stalled possessions. The first touchdown early in the third quarter felt like the warning shot.

From there, momentum snowballed. As the Falcons’ offense got conservative, New England kept piling up clean drives and timely stops. Another score. Another defensive stand. By early in the fourth quarter, what once looked impossible was suddenly a one-possession game.

Late in the fourth, the Patriots’ defense delivered the knockout punch, a clutch stop that gave the offense one last crack. New England cashed in, finally taking the lead after being down 25 points. Atlanta never recovered, and the Patriots walked it off, completing one of the most absurd comebacks the league has ever seen.

And that’s why the tape still hits a decade later.

It wasn’t just about elite quarterback play. That game locked in the Patriots’ dynasty identity — preparation over panic, adjustments over ego, and poise when everything’s on fire. That’s why any modern comeback that mirrors 28–3 feels deliberate, not lucky.

The 28–3 rally changed how the NFL thinks about momentum, pressure, and belief. And why teams like the Bears still use it as proof that the game is never over until the clock hits zero.

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