The Chicago Bears used a tremendous late comeback to defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-27, advancing to the NFL’s divisional round and winning their first playoff victory in 15 years.
The Bears continued their rallying season by scoring 25 points in the final quarter to erase an 18-point deficit and become just the fourth team in NFL history to win a playoff game with a lead of 15 points or more with one quarter remaining.
In the first playoff game at Soldier Field since 2019, the Bears, who won the NFC North this season, appeared to be dominated from the start, with the Packers leading 21-3 at the half.
Chicago’s only points in the first half came on a Cairo Santos field goal, but they fell behind 21-6 heading into the final quarter.
Caleb Williams celebrates the Chicago Bears’ win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFL playoffs – the team’s first postseason win in 15 years
But Caleb Williams rallied to extend the Bears’ season in his playoff debut, throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open DJ Moore with less than two minutes left to give the home team the lead.
Jordan Love, who threw four touchdown passes and 323 yards for the Packers after missing two games with a concussion, brought Green Bay into the opposition’s half late, but time expired when Jaquan Brisker broke up a pass in the end zone.
Chicago will celebrate its seventh fourth-quarter come-from-behind victory in head coach Ben Johnson’s first tenure, and third win in the past five games against the Packers, as well as the fact that they will host a divisional round matchup next week.
But the blow for the Bears came with the news that linebacker TJ Edwards will miss the rest of the season after injuring his foot when his left leg got caught in Christian Watson’s leg and bent awkwardly in the second quarter against the Packers.
Johnson said Edwards, who was signed to a two-year contract extension last April, suffered a fibula fracture.
Matthew Golden of the Green Bay Packers scores a touchdown in his team’s loss at Soldier Field
Leader in statistics:
packers
Passing: Jordan Love, 24/46, 323 yards, 4 TD Rushing: Josh Jacobs, 19 carries, 55 yards Receiving: Romeo Dubs, 8 catches, 124 yards, 1 TD
bear
Passing: Caleb Williams, 24/48, 361 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing: D’Andre Swift, 13 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD Receiving: Colston Loveland, 8 catches, 137 yards
Moore praises Williams as ‘bright light’ after playoff win
Moore later said of teammate Williams, who also threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zachias, “He was on track and never faltered. He was dialed in and ready to go. When the lights shine bright, he’s the brightest player. So he’s going to get us there.”
Williams threw for 361 yards and completed 24 of 48 passes.
“We know preparation is always the key, and we’re going to fall back on that in the end,” Moore added of Chicago’s renewed heroics late in the game.
Brandon McManus’ missed field goal late in Saturday night’s game was a big moment for the Packers, who ended a season that started with Super Bowl hopes with five straight losses.
But the highlight of Green Bay’s loss was rookie Matthew Golden breaking three tackles and scoring his first career touchdown by leaping over a fourth defender on a 23-yard catch-and-run.
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