Wild Card Recap — Bears 31, Packers 27
A Chicago Resurrection and the Sweet Symphony of Packers Suffering
Let’s not bury the lead: there are few experiences on this earth that can compare to watching the Green Bay Packers collapse on a national stage. And when that collapse is engineered by the Chicago Bears? That’s a spiritual cleansing I personally cannot get enough of. Saturday’s Wild Card classic wasn’t just a playoff win — it was a long‑awaited reversal of fortune in a rivalry defined by decades of Bears heartbreak and Packers smugness. But this time, the smug died screaming.
Chicago entered halftime down 21–3, and Soldier Field felt like it was bracing for the latest wound in a century-old feud. Jordan Love was dissecting the Bears early, the defense looked unrecognizable, and Packers fans (as always) began puffing their chests like the entitled Midwestern aristocrats they pretend to be. But something shifted in those locker room walls at halftime.
Ben Johnson’s team emerged not defeated, but transformed — faster, sharper, and downright furious. The Bears flipped the tone of the game like a switch, and from the moment the third quarter began, you could feel Green Bay’s confidence start to melt.
The fourth quarter will go down as one of the greatest in franchise history. Chicago scored 25 points in twelve minutes — the largest postseason comeback the Bears have ever mounted — turning a game that once felt hopeless into a thunderous, city‑shaking resurrection. Soldier Field didn’t just erupt. It roared. It pulsed. It shook. It felt like decades of frustration finally found release in a single, unstoppable wave of momentum. And yes, the knowledge that the Packers were on the receiving end made it all the sweeter.
At the center of it all stood Caleb Williams, the Iceman, the One, the Al-Gaib, who officially announced himself as the future of this rivalry. His 361 yards broke the franchise postseason record, but stats don’t capture the way he took control of the moment. Every dropback felt like a test, every throw a defiance of pressure, every escape a dagger to Green Bay’s hopes.
The defining moment came on 4th down in the fourth quarter. Caleb took the snap, and Green Bay’s front four executed a gorgeous stunt that blew up the pocket, forcing him to roll left. As he narrowly escaped the defender’s grasp, he launched a perfect dime—his feet practically horizontal, nowhere near the ground.
There are throws that extend drives. Throws that swing momentum. Throws that become part of a franchise’s mythology.
And then there was this one—Caleb Williams’ fourth‑down strike to Rome Odunze late in the game. A play so absurd, so physics‑defying, so soaked in raw superstar audacity that it felt like a Marvel origin story unfolding live at Soldier Field.
With under two minutes left, down 27–24. Williams slid in the pocket, pump-faked the safety out of existence, and fired a gorgeous 25‑yard rope to DJ Moore up the right sideline. That throw didn’t just give Chicago the lead. It rewrote the emotional history of this rivalry.
The defense sealed the win with a final stop that felt poetic. Green Bay crossed midfield with the season on the line, but a botched snap threw off their timing, and Jordan Love was forced to heave a desperate prayer into the end zone. Kyler Gordon— made a perfect deflection as the clock hit zero. What followed was pure, unfiltered joy. Players sprinted everywhere. Helmets flew. Soldier Field sounded like a pressure valve finally releasing twenty years of green‑and‑gold annoyance.
Key contributors all had their fingerprints on the comeback. DJ Moore battled through double teams and delivered the biggest play of the season. Rookie tight end Colston Loveland carved up Green Bay’s defense with 137 yards and clutch grabs on third down. D’Andre Swift’s touchdown sparked the avalanche. Cairo Santos was perfect, steady, and cold-blooded. Every part of the roster contributed to the Packers’ unraveling, and as someone who has spent a lifetime loathing that team, I must admit: it was beautiful.
This win felt like more than football. Ben Johnson’s reported postgame locker room speech — where he unleashed a cathartic, brutally honest “F— the Packers!” — said everything that needed to be said. This wasn’t tasteless. It wasn’t disrespectful. It was the authentic release of a coach who understands what Bears fans have endured, and what this win symbolized.
For decades, Chicago has lived in Green Bay’s shadow. Last Saturday, the shadow moved. In the words of N. Criscione, “Ben Johnson is the greatest thing to come to Chicago since Malort” and brother, he’s not wrong.
The Bears have now won three of the last five meetings, and for the first time in years, it feels like Chicago has the quarterback, the coach, and the culture to seize the upper hand. The Williams & Johnson era is young, but this comeback — on this stage, against that opponent — will define the foundation they build on.
This week, the Bears host the Rams in the Divisional Round, another massive test at Soldier Field. But for now, Chicago can bask in a rare and glorious moment: the Bears didn’t just survive the Packers. They flipped the script, took control of the rivalry, and sent Green Bay home in the kind of anguish that, to me, tastes like victory. Ta-Ta Green Bay, have fun in Cancun!
Bears Vs Rams Divisional Round Preview
1. Can the Bears finally play four clean quarters?
If you’ve watched the 2025 Bears even casually, you know exactly how their games tend to unfold. Chicago has become the NFL’s kings of chaos, a late‑game roller coaster that makes cardiac stress a weekly tradition. Their seven comeback wins — including the 18‑point Wild Card stunner over Green Bay — are impressive, but they also tell a more complicated story. This team digs itself into holes far too often. When the Bears score 7 or more points in the first half they are 10-1 on the season. Starting fast will be critical for success on Sunday.
Caleb Williams has been nothing short of brilliant when it matters, posting a league‑best 128.5 passer rating on third downs while trailing, and his command in the clutch has given Chicago an identity rooted in late surges and controlled desperation. But the lingering question entering the Divisional Round is whether Chicago can avoid the early-game molasses that forces Williams into superhero mode.
Against the NFL’s best scoring offense, every misfire, every stalled drive, every slow start is amplified. If the Bears want to trade punches with Los Angeles for all four quarters instead of waiting until the second half to come alive, they need rhythm — not rescue missions — from the opening whistle.
2. Fast starters vs. furious finishers — whose script wins out?
The contrast in styles between these two teams is almost cinematic. The Rams jump on opponents quickly, slicing defenses apart with the kind of precision that only a Sean McVay‑led offense can manufacture. They led the league in scoring at 30.5 points per game and in total yardage at just under 395 per outing, overwhelming teams with an efficient blend of timing, spacing, and a run game that punishes light boxes.
But the flip side is a defense that hasn’t always held its weight, giving up big scoring totals and allowing even struggling offenses to hang around. That inconsistency opens the door for Chicago, a team that doesn’t start fast but finishes with fire, a team built on second‑half adjustments and fourth‑quarter demolition jobs.
The core drama of this matchup becomes a test of identity: can the Rams build a lead large enough to blunt Chicago’s late‑game avalanche, or will the Bears drag this into the kind of frantic final frame where they’ve lived all season? One team is engineered to front‑run. The other is engineered to survive and strike late. Something has to bend.
3. Cold weather, Soldier Field, and a familiar LA problem
This game won’t be played in a climate‑controlled vacuum — far from it. Forecasts call for frigid temperatures, with single digits to low 20s expected at kickoff, and that’s a different sport for a team built like the Rams.
McVay’s offense thrives on timing, tempo, and speed, all of which can be disrupted by wind, a hardened playing surface, and the kind of cold that turns every throw into an icy sting. Meanwhile, Chicago has embraced the elements this season, going 7–2 at home while leaning into the physicality required to win in this environment.
Historically, dome and warm‑weather teams have struggled mightily in sub‑freezing playoff conditions — 2–15 since 2000 — and although talent and scheme matter more than temperature, the weather can act as an equalizer. If conditions slow the Rams’ timing-based attack and turn this into a battle of attrition rather than finesse, Chicago’s comfort in the cold becomes a very real edge.
Top 3 Matchups to Watch
1. Stafford and Puka vs. a Chicago secondary that can’t afford mistakes
Matthew Stafford is playing some of the sharpest football of his career, leading the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. His connection with Puka Nacua has become one of the NFL’s elite quarterback‑receiver duos, a pairing built on trust, timing, and the ability to punish even the smallest defensive misstep.
Chicago’s secondary has shown stretches of growth this season, but communication breakdowns and leverage issues still pop up often enough to be concerning. Against this particular opponent, those lapses aren’t just costly — they’re catastrophic.
If the Bears want to avoid another uphill climb, they need airtight discipline on crossers, deep intermediate routes, and any situation where Stafford is able to manipulate their safeties. One blown coverage could turn into the exact kind of early deficit Chicago cannot afford.
2. The Rams’ pass rush against Caleb Williams’ play‑extension genius
Los Angeles generates pressure at one of the highest rates in the league without sacrificing coverage by blitzing, and that’s a problem for quarterbacks who like to hunt big plays. Williams is exceptional at extending snaps and turning chaos into chunk gains, but he also likes to hold the ball longer than most, trusting his arm talent and mobility to make something happen.
The Rams’ rushers excel at converting speed to power and collapsing the pocket while maintaining contain, which means Williams will have far fewer escape routes than usual. Chicago’s offensive line has been strong this season, but this matchup is a different level of test.
If they keep Williams clean, the Bears can unlock their vertical game and lean into the late‑game magic that has defined their year. If they don’t, the Rams can force Williams into uncomfortable improvisation before plays can fully develop, increasing the risk of drive‑killing mistakes.
3. Kyren Williams vs. a Bears run defense searching for answers
The Bears allowed 5.0 yards per carry this season, one of the worst marks in the NFL, and that vulnerability has consistently prevented them from controlling game tempo. Kyren Williams — sixth in the league in rushing — is the wrong running back to face with that flaw still lingering.
His patience and vision in McVay’s zone scheme make him a constant threat to turn modest openings into meaningful gains, and when he gets rolling, it forces linebackers downhill and opens up play‑action windows that LA’s passing game thrives on.
Chicago’s defense must be far more disciplined than it has been, maintaining gap integrity and tackling cleanly in space. If they can’t contain Williams early, the Rams can dictate rhythm, control the clock, and keep Caleb Williams watching from the sideline — the exact scenario Chicago wants to avoid.
Additional Storyline: Ben Johnson vs. Sean McVay — innovators from different worlds colliding
A fascinating subplot to this matchup is the convergence of two elite offensive minds who took very different paths to the top. Sean McVay, forged in the Shanahan/Gruden ecosystem, has built his offense on motion, sequencing, and condensed spacing concepts perfected with help from the LaFleur family.
Ben Johnson, meanwhile, emerged from the Miami and Detroit coaching trees, building a system based on formation versatility, spread influences, and late‑down creativity. They don’t share a coaching tree, but they share a reputation for manipulating defenses through leverage, spacing, and modern stress principles.
There’s an emotional undercurrent this week, too. McVay is reportedly revved up for this matchup after watching Johnson’s offense systematically dismantle Matt LaFleur and Green Bay last weekend. It wasn’t just a win — it was a schematic takedown that embarrassed one of McVay’s closest coaching allies. There’s no bitterness, but competitive pride is absolutely in play.
Add in the narrative spice — McVay has never won in Chicago, and the last time the Bears won a Sunday Night Football game was in 2018, also against McVay — and the stage becomes even richer. This isn’t just a playoff game; it’s a meeting of two minds who approach offensive football differently, but with equal brilliance.
Additional Matchup: Chicago’s middle‑field attack vs. LA’s secondary vulnerabilities
One of the quiet but critical battlegrounds will be the middle of the field, where the Bears have found consistent success and the Rams have shown structural weakness. Kamren Kinchens brings rangy ball skills to the Los Angeles secondary, but his lack of size becomes a real issue against larger targets who attack between the hashes.
That’s a dangerous mismatch against an offense that thrives on seams, crossers, and intermediate in‑breakers, especially with Colston Loveland coming off a 137‑yard breakout performance in the Wild Card round. Add in Rome Odunze’s ability to stretch defenses horizontally and DJ Moore’s mastery of leverage on deep digs, and the Bears have a clear point of attack that suits their personnel perfectly.
Los Angeles has been an inconsistent group in terms of communication and reliability, particularly when forced into conflict assignments in the middle of the field. Chicago can exploit that with early-down RPO looks, layered route combinations, and the kind of inside-out pressure that forces safeties into difficult decisions. If the Bears commit to attacking inside, they have a chance to control the flow of the game — not just survive it.
Conclusion & Prediction
When you stack everything together — the Bears’ late‑game toughness, the Rams’ early‑game precision, the weather factor, the coaching chess match, and the individual matchups that could tilt the field — this Divisional Round showdown feels less like a traditional playoff game and more like an identity referendum for both teams. Los Angeles arrives with the more consistent résumé, the more polished offense, and the kind of quarterback‑receiver synergy that can take over any stadium in any month.
Chicago arrives with chaos, grit, and a young quarterback who has made a living in the margins where most teams fall apart. It’s a clash of rhythm versus resilience, tempo versus toughness, and structure versus survival.
Ultimately, this game may come down to which team is forced out of its comfort zone first — whether the Rams are slowed by the cold and dragged into a trench fight, or whether the Bears fall behind early and spend another 30 minutes chasing ghosts.
Chicago doesn’t need to dominate the first half, but they cannot spot Los Angeles 17 points and expect another miracle rally. Likewise, the Rams don’t need perfection in the elements, but they can’t afford to let the Bears hang around and turn the fourth quarter into a Caleb Williams highlight reel. Both teams have a blueprint to win. Only one has the margin for error to survive breaking from it.
Prediction: Bears 27, Rams 24
The cold tightens the screws on LA just enough, Chicago gets one or two rare first‑half scoring drives, at least one INT and the fourth quarter becomes exactly the kind of storm the Bears have learned how to control. In a season defined by chaos, they create just enough clarity — and just enough clutch magic — to punch their ticket to the NFC Championship Game.
