Bears vs. Packers Recap: A Rivalry Rewritten Under the Lights
Last Saturday night at Soldier Field wasn’t just another chapter in Bears–Packers lore—it was a full-blown thriller that flipped the NFC North on its head. Chicago clawed back from the brink, snatching a 22–16 overtime win that felt equal parts grit, chaos, and destiny.
The night started with promise. Caleb Williams and the offense marched methodically down the field on the opening drive, only to stall on a botched shotgun snap at Green Bay’s 4-yard line. From there, the first half was a grind. The Bears’ defense held firm, limiting the Packers to six points and delivering a seismic blow when Austin Booker knocked Jordan Love out of the game in the second quarter. Enter Malik Willis—Green Bay’s backup who nearly stole the show.
Chicago chipped away in the third, cutting the deficit to 6–3, but every spark seemed to fizzle. A fumble recovery led to nothing but a punt. Willis answered with a dagger to Romeo Doubs, stretching the lead to 13–3 heading into the fourth. At that point, Soldier Field felt tense, almost resigned.
Then came the chaos.
Down 16–6 with just over five minutes left, Cairo Santos drilled a 43-yarder to make it 16–9. The clock was bleeding, the odds microscopic—8% to recover the onside kick. And yet, Josh Blackwell pounced. Suddenly, hope had a pulse. Two timeouts. 53 yards. 1:59 on the clock. Caleb Williams, the Iceman, went to work. On fourth-and-4, with a blitz screaming in his face, he dropped a dime to rookie Jahdae Walker in the corner of the end zone. PAT good. Tie game. Soldier Field erupted.
Overtime was a test of nerve. Willis drove Green Bay deep, only to cough up a fumbled snap on fourth-and-1 at Chicago’s 36. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the biggest play of that drive, TJ Edwards stuffing Malik Willis on a third and one to allow that fumble to happen and the turnover on downs.
That was the opening Williams needed. Four plays later, he uncorked a 46-yard missile into the 20 mph wind, hitting DJ Moore in stride for the walk-off touchdown. Hands in the pocket. Ballgame. Bears 22, Packers 16. First place in the NFC North belongs to Chicago.
Chicago had lined up in a condensed set with 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends) 6 times in the game for 6 runs. The 7th was different, zero coverage (man vs man) on the defense and Caleb delivered. This is why Ben Johnson being the head coach is so critical to Chicago’s success. Play calling and scheming matters, Johnson is the real deal, waited for his shot and trusted his players to execute. Chicago is different.
Williams finished 19-of-34 for 250 yards and two touchdowns—his eighth fourth-quarter comeback this season. Santos was perfect, drilling three bombs and the clutch PAT. The defense? Five red-zone stands, zero touchdowns allowed. That’s championship DNA.
The Bears are 11–4, riding high. Ben Johnson called his squad “mentally and physically tough.” He’s right. This team doesn’t flinch. Six wins when trailing in the final two minutes? That’s not luck—that’s identity.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur summed it up best: “It hurts.” For Chicago, it feels like something more—a turning point in a rivalry that’s been lopsided for decades. On December 20, under the lights, the Bears didn’t just beat the Packers. They rewrote the script.
If the Bears win their last two games and Seattle Seahawks lose? The Bears get the one-seed, the bye, and the road to the Super Bowl goes through Chicago.
Bears vs. 49ers Preview
Top 3 Storylines to Know
NFC No. 1 seed and seeding chaos—both teams can still climb, and a loss is costly
Sunday Night Football isn’t just another primetime showcase—it’s a chess match with playoff stakes that could tilt the entire NFC bracket. Both Chicago and San Francisco roll in at 11–4, already locked into January football, but the fight for seeding and home-field advantage is far from settled.
For the Niners, a win keeps the NFC West crown and No. 1 seed within reach heading into a Week 18 date with Seattle. Drop this one, and suddenly they’re staring down the wild-card gauntlet. The Bears? Beat San Francisco —and they will keep the door cracked for the top seed if Seattle stumbles down the stretch.
The NFC picture is jammed—6 teams in, only one divisional spot still shuffling—so this game isn’t just big, it’s bracket-altering. National outlets have it circled as one of Week 17’s leverage plays, and even Vegas is leaning into the drama: Niners by three, total hovering around 52. Translation? Expect fireworks and playoff-level urgency.
Bottom line: this isn’t a measuring-stick game. It’s a statement game. For the Niners, win, and you’re on the home-field trajectory. Lose, and you’re packing your bags for the road. Bears win, and you’re still alive for the one seed, since the North is already locked up.
Caleb Williams’ clutch arc vs. Brock Purdy’s surge—young QBs defining December
Quarterback drama? It’s Broadway-level stuff right now. Caleb Williams isn’t just playing quarterback—he’s closing games like Mariano Rivera in the Bronx. Six times this season, he’s dragged Chicago back from the brink in the fourth quarter or OT, all while protecting the football and keeping the Bears’ playoff pulse pounding. The stat line heading into Week 17? 3,400 yards, 23 touchdowns, six picks, and nearly every snap taken. Durability? Box checked. Clutch factor? Off the charts. That’s how you stack 11 wins before the calendar flips.
On the other sideline, Brock Purdy is riding his own heater. Fresh off a five-touchdown Monday night masterpiece, he’s 6–1 as a starter and has San Francisco ripping through December like a buzzsaw. That outing put him in rare air—think Joe Montana, Steve Young—and when Kyle Shanahan’s offense is humming with Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and a healthy George Kittle, it’s a fireworks show.
The contrast is stark: Chicago leans on the run and play-action, letting Williams freelance when chaos hits. San Francisco? They morph into whatever you can’t stop and hang 21 points before you know it.
Does Williams’ late-game magic hold under prime-time lights, or does Purdy’s December dominance steal the stage? Either way, buckle up. This feels like a quarterback showcase with a January sequel already in the works.
Health watch and personnel chess—Kittle’s ankle, Bears WR room, and depth decisions
The injury buzz isn’t just background noise—it’s shaping the chessboard. Out west, George Kittle hasn’t logged a single practice rep after that mid-to-low ankle sprain in Indy. Kyle Shanahan says there’s “a chance” he goes, but zero work all week screams true game‑time call. If he’s in, San Francisco’s run game gets teeth and the middle of the field opens for Brock Purdy. If he’s out? That’s a swing factor, period.
The Niners’ sheet doesn’t stop there: WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle) stayed limited, and CB Renardo Green is officially shelved. Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams grabbed vet rest days—standard stuff, but rhythm matters when you’re talking trench rotations.
Flip to Chicago: Rome Odunze is out, which reshapes the WR picture. Luther Burden III went full Friday after being limited earlier—huge for spacing and vertical juice. Sprinkle in illness tags across the defense and secondary during a short week, and Ben Johnson is juggling pieces. The Bears already lost Kyler Gordon to IR, and now T.J. Edwards (glute) and Nashon Wright (Hamstring/ Illness) carry question marks. That cluster could force tweaks in sub-packages and personnel usage.
Team outlets framed Chicago’s midweek updates as “breaks” with potential WR reinforcements. Flip side? Kittle’s availability looms like a storm cloud over San Francisco’s balance. Add in special teams and depth nuggets—the Niners haven’t punted since November, signaling offensive rhythm while patching LB/DB rotations—and this isn’t just a game plan duel. It’s a health-and-usage chess match.
Top 3 Matchups to Watch for
Bears’ run game (D’Andre Swift + QB/WR run elements) vs. 49ers’ front seven
Chicago’s run game isn’t just rolling—it’s setting the tone. At 152 yards per game, the Bears have carved out an identity that’s tough, layered, and built to punish. Over the last few weeks, they’ve leaned even harder into the ground attack, with Kyle Monangai emerging as the downhill hammer and D’Andre Swift adding the juice on the edges. That combo has become the launchpad for Caleb Williams’ deep shots.
San Francisco counters with a top-10 run defense on paper, but paper doesn’t tell you about the bruises. Losing Nick Bosa and Fred Warner has forced the Niners to dig into their depth chart. The rotation has held up, but cracks appear when you stack body blows. That’s where Chicago’s run menu—inside zone, power, QB keepers, jet/orbit motion—becomes a stress test for SF’s second-level fits.
FOX Sports data shows the Niners spreading snaps across Bryce Huff, Alfred Collins, and Sam Okuayinonu, while Dee Winters has emerged as the tone-setter after flipping last week with a pick-six. For Chicago fans, that’s the kind of impact play that feels like a Devin Hester moment—a difference maker changing the game in an instant.
For the Bears, the blueprint is simple: stay on schedule, no penalties, marry the run to play-action and boot, and you neutralize San Francisco’s pass rush while shrinking the game. Flip that script, and Shanahan’s offense gets extra possessions—and Levi Stadium turns into a hornet’s nest.
One thing we know for sure is that the run game travels no matter where you go in the in NFL so the Bears will have to lean heavy on that to dictate tempo.
Caleb Williams’ pocket movement and scramble drill vs. 49ers’ pass rush/coverage rules
Caleb Williams has been the engine behind Chicago’s late-game magic, and it starts with his ability to keep plays alive. He’s holding the ball longer than most, escaping pressure at a high clip, and still keeping turnovers off the stat sheet. That’s a rare blend of aggression and control. Not to mention dropping absolute dimes.
Flip it to the other sideline: San Francisco’s pass rush hasn’t been the same without Bosa and Warner. Pressure rate is pedestrian, and the whispers say they’ll need to heat things up with extra blitz looks. If they do, buckle up—Williams thrives in chaos. His eyes stay locked downfield, and when the pocket fractures, DJ Moore and Chicago’s burners turn broken plays into fireworks. High variance, high reward.
The secondary? That’s where it gets dicey for the Niners. Renardo Green is out, Deommodore Lenoir is carrying a heavy load, and depth is thin. Against Chicago’s scramble drill, health and communication aren’t luxuries—they’re lifelines.
And don’t sleep on the turnover gap: Bears lead the league at +21, while San Francisco’s is in the red, -4. If Williams keeps the ball clean while freelancing, Chicago wins the hidden yardage battle. Expect the Niners to mix rush lanes, cap the edges, maybe even throw a spy at him. How well they marry rush and coverage against Williams’ movement? That’s your swing factor on third downs and in the red zone.
Brock Purdy to the middle (Kittle/McCaffrey) vs. Dennis Allen’s Bears sub‑packages
Purdy’s rhythm with McCaffrey and Kittle over the middle is the engine of Shanahan’s passing game. Last week, the Iowa State legend was cooking—five touchdown strikes, Kittle leading the yardage parade, McCaffrey snagging two touchdowns through the air. But now Kittle’s ankle throws a wrench in the works. If he’s slowed or out, (it’s looking highly likely that he will be out) those middle-field looks pivot to Jauan Jennings, amongst others—forcing Shanahan to shuffle the deck and giving Chicago fresh counterpunches to dial up.
On the other side, Dennis Allen’s defense has been on a heater—tight in the red zone, last week holding Green Bay to 0/5 in the red zone, and ball-hawking (31 takeaways this season). Expect robber looks and seam brackets to headline the script. The catch? DB health. Kevin Byard III and C.J. Gardner-Johnson were limited midweek, and a few corners popped up sick. That could stress dime packages and match coverage against McCaffrey/Kittle-style option routes.
Bottom line: If Purdy stays in rhythm early, San Francisco avoids those third-and-long nightmares where Allen’s pressure disguises eat quarterbacks alive. But if Chicago punches first, their turnover swagger takes over. Purdy’s recent efficiency versus the Bears’ clutch-stop DNA? That chess match over the middle might decide if the Niners light up the scoreboard—or settle for field goals.
Conclusion: Heading into this matchup, the Bears’ offensive identity will be tested against one of the league’s most explosive teams. Caleb Williams throwing for over 250 yards would signal a strong passing attack, but the real key for Chicago is finishing drives with touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. Against a 49ers squad that can score in a hurry—even without George Kittle—the Bears can’t afford to leave points on the board. Brock Purdy’s tendency to make a mistake, like an interception, could give Chicago a crucial edge, but only if they capitalize fully.
Prediction: If the Bears stay aggressive in the red zone and convert those opportunities into six points, they have a legitimate shot at pulling off the upset. Expect a high-energy game with momentum swings, but if Caleb stays hot and Chicago avoids silly mistakes, I predict a 27–24 Bears win in a nail-biter.
