The Green Bay Packers were mad. They couldn’t understand how they let their game at Soldier Field in December slip away. They’d played so well for three quarters, building a 16-3 lead. Everything was as it should be, as it had been for 30 years. Then everything fell apart. The Chicago Bears forced overtime in the final seconds and then won the game on that unforgettable 46-yard bomb to D.J. Moore. Unable to accept what happened, Green Bay entered the wild card playoff week full of confidence and bravado.

One might even call it arrogance.

It was actually shocking how much they were talking. They wanted to play the Bears. They couldn’t wait to put Chicago’s season to bed. The game was a foregone conclusion. Players and coaches were both guilty of it.

One had to think the Bears were hearing all of it. They had done zero talking all week. The only notable quote was from head coach Ben Johnson, who said players shouldn’t bother coming in for practice if they weren’t totally focused on winning on Saturday. After the comeback, both he and Caleb Williams admitted that Green Bay’s chirping made it 100% personal.

Green Bay forgot history with the Chicago Bears.

Be prepared for consequences if you decide to trash-talk them publicly before a playoff game. This goes all the way back to 1940. Washington’s owner called them “crybabies” to the press after the Redskins beat them 7-3 in a regular season game. Chicago had clips of that quote posted across the locker room for weeks. Sure enough, the two teams met again in the NFL championship. The Bears proceeded to crush Washington 73-0 in what is still the most lopsided game in league history.

What the Packers did was just as egregious. They willingly handed their rivals extra motivation when they could’ve easily avoided it by keeping their mouths shut. It was baffling how they felt that was okay. This Green Bay team had lost each of their last two playoff openers. The Chicago Bears had already proven a month ago that they could beat you. Yet you decided to treat it as if it never happened. Green Bay committed every cardinal sin imaginable, and they deserve to wallow in it for the next six months.

The Chicago Bears have had many head coaches walk through their doors. Very few of them ever fully understood the magnitude of the rivalry with the Green Bay Packers and how much it meant to the city. Dave Wannstedt never got it. Dick Jauron never got it. Neither did Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, or Matt Eberflus. Only Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith seemed to grasp it. They took it seriously and seemed to get rewarded for it with loads of team success. Which category would Ben Johnson fall into?

Everybody knew the young coach was an offensive wunderkind. What they didn’t know was whether he could be a leader. Could he grasp the magnitude of this undertaking? Johnson put that question to bed on Saturday night. His Bears overcame a 21-3 deficit in the second half to stun Green Bay 31-27. It was the largest comeback in franchise playoff history. It also marked the third straight season the Packers were one-and-done in the postseason. Johnson summed it all up at the start of his post-game speech to the team.

Ben Johnson isn’t afraid.

That is the big takeaway from all of this. Most head coaches work extremely hard to be mindful of what they say in front of the cameras. In a way, Johnson does do this. However, he does it leading into a game. He’ll say the usual things, remind everybody of their responsibilities and stay focused on the objective. After the game? He clearly doesn’t care anymore. That is why he stripped his shirt off after the Philadelphia game and felt no qualms about telling the Packers exactly what he thinks of them.

Green Bay did plenty of talking leading up to the game. They talked about how the last meeting was a fluke. Chicago got lucky. They desperately wanted another shot at them and acted as if victory was a foregone conclusion. Even defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said he’d talk to the press next week. Ben Johnson said nothing in reply. He waited. After the Bears put them down for good, he finally released everything he’d wanted to say in three explosive words.

Pure poetry.

The Chicago Bears got it done. Everybody knew the stakes. A loss at home to the Green Bay Packers would reaffirm their control of the rivalry. A win would finally give the Bears something they haven’t had for 30 years: freedom. Most of the credit for their epic 18-point comeback will go to quarterback Caleb Williams, with huge assists from tight end Colston Loveland and running back D’Andre Swift. However, one of the most pivotal moments of the game won’t show up on the stat sheet. It belonged to Ozzy Trapilo.

Chicago’s rookie left tackle went down with an injury with two minutes left in the 4th quarter. Had he stayed down and required help off, the Bears would’ve had to burn their final timeout. Instead, Trapilo fought through obvious pain to get of the field, allowing his team to keep that timeout in their back pocket. This prevented them from feeling rushed, resulting in two big gains on the next two plays, including the winning touchdown pass to D.J. Moore.

People had no idea at the time what Trapilo had just done. Head coach Ben Johnson had revealed after the game that the rookie had ruptured his patella tendon. He is done for the season and faces at least six months of recovery. By any stretch of logic, he should’ve been carted off the field. His quick thinking and unbelievable toughness saved the day.

Ozzy Trapilo has a bright future.

It’s sad his season ended like this. He was playing some good football down the stretch for this team. This is a major setback. There is no getting around that fact. It is likely he will miss the start of the 2026 season as he rehabs from the injury. Still, he’s young enough to overcome it without any long-term consequences. When he’s 100% again, he looks like their left tackle of the future. Nobody can say he lacks intelligence or courage. Most players would’ve just stayed on the turf and waited for the cart.

Until then, it’s a safe bet the Bears will work to keep Theo Benedet on the roster. While his pass protection may never be great, his value as a run blocker should help the offense stay strong. Ozzy Trapilo is undeniably their future. If they can add a few more like him to this roster, this team will compete for a championship. That was their first playoff victory in 15 years. It’s fitting that an offensive line proved crucial to making it happen. Here’s hoping Ozzy gets better quickly.

The Chicago Bears pulled off an epic comeback last month against the Green Bay Packers to beat them at Soldier Field. Immediately, the excuses started. Green Bay was banged up. Jordan Love left the game early. Chicago got loads of unrealistic bounces to get back into the game. There’s no way that would happen again in the playoffs. That is why the Packers sounded so confident going into it. They were sure they’d take care of business this time. Once again, they didn’t count on Caleb Williams.

Everything unfolded exactly as before. Green Bay jumped out to a 21-3 lead, picking off Williams twice. Love stayed on the field this time. Going into the 4th quarter, their predictions appeared true. Then the madness started again. Chicago hit a field goal to narrow the game to 21-9, forced a three-and-out and then a touchdown on the next series. Jordan Love threw his fourth touchdown to make it 28-16. Williams answered with more of his signature wizardry to make it 27-24.

Then Green Bay missed a field goal.

Williams had the stage set for him again. Again, he delivered the killing blow on a throw to D.J. Moore, pushing it to 31-17. The defense got a stop in the final seconds, ending Green Bay’s season and ushering in a new era of Bears football.

People need to understand what Caleb Williams just did.

It had to happen this way. It needed to be in the playoffs and needed to be against a Packers quarterback playing his best. Love was excellent in that game. He played as well as you could’ve possibly hoped. Williams struggled. There was every reason in the book for him to wilt under the pressure. Remember, Green Bay has owned this rivalry for the past 30 years, spurred by the dominance of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, along with an incredible run of ineptitude at quarterback for the Bears.

So many men stepped up to the plate and struck out. Erik Kramer, Jim Miller, Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, Jay Cutler, Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields and several others. None of them could break through the Packers mystique. Caleb Williams, brash and unflappable, stared the dragon in the eye and didn’t blink. He summoned the magic one more time when he needed it most, and for the first time in years, the Packers faltered. Is this a changing of the guard? Who knows.

One thing is clear. Green Bay’s days of swatting down inferior challengers is over.

CHICAGO — We made it. A full calendar year after Cairo Santos‘ walkoff field goal at Lambeau Field to close the book on the pre-Ben Johnson era, the Chicago Bears hosted a playoff game at Soldier Field. They won the division with two weeks to spare — an incredible feat given every team in the NFC North finished with a winning record.

And of course, the best Bears season in almost a decade had to culminate in a playoff matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Two incredible games during the regular season resulted in a season split. So it was fitting that their playoff destinies hung on a rubber match.

That’s what the playoffs are all about.

Here were my thoughts heading into the game as a preview (thread on X):

Thought #6 was the key for me — no matter what happened tonight, fans’ perspective on the season and what it means shouldn’t be lost (beyond the initial sting).

In the end, the Bears did their usual bullshit – going down 21-3 at halftime with some awful play, before storming back to win an instant classic thanks to excellent complementary football. The Chicago Bears move on to the Divisional Round. Crazy stuff.

I shared my in-game reactions, thoughts and observations from the game below. Follow me on X @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation!

Thoughts and Observations

1. PREGAME thought:

Bears took the ball to open the game — clearly Ben Johnson wasn’t happy with last week’s performance against Detroit, and he wanted to get off to a faster start on his terms.

Chicago executed quite well down the field — converting 4 third downs (including two 3rd and longs) en route to the 9-yard line. A field goal put the Bears up 3-0. Really nice job on that drive by the OL to buy Caleb Williams time, and Luther Burden and DJ Moore out wide to convert a few crucial third downs. Santos nailed the kick.

We’re almost eight minutes into the game and Ben Johnson was IN HIS BAG on the first drive. Some cool designs — some worked and some didn’t.

Love the hyper-specific game plans of the playoffs. So much fun.

2. Just gross defense by the Bears on the Packers’ first drive. A lot of the same issues — lack of pass rush and undisciplined linebackers. What I didn’t like was the heavy use of man coverage again. The Packers are one of the best in the league against it, and the Bears have awful personnel for it right now.

What is the point of playing against your strength?

3. Well, it’s clear that Ben Johnson isn’t going to care much about 4th down anymore after how easily the Packers went down the field. He went for it on 4th and 2 from minus territory, and thankfully Caleb converted to D.J. Moore for 18 yards.

Later in the drive, he ran it on 3rd and 6 and gained… no yards. And then went for it again. And Caleb and Luther Burden had a miscommunication and it was a total mishap of a play. Interception that acted as a punt … benefited the Bears.

The process is rough… Ben doesn’t have confidence in the defense. That’s for sure.

4. More man coverage after more man coverage and the Packers just picked the Bears apart to another touchdown. 14-3. It’s really, really wild how little speed and awareness the Bears have everywhere. Matt LaFleur has had them in total hell.

To add injury to insult, T.J. Edwards went down with a non-contact injury and an aircast. Brutal.

5. Ben Johnson decided again to go for it on 4th down in minus territory, and Caleb had his pass tipped for TO on downs. Burden had a ton of space if the pass got through.

And then a brutal, brutal sequence, where Christian Watson fumbled at the 1-yard line on a 4th down play, and no Bears player (who were closest to the ball) recovered it. And then 4 plays later, Jordan Love hit Romeo Doubs on another touchdown – in man coverage. Again. 21-3.

For good measure – the Bears couldn’t convert on the ensuing 4th down either for themselves, as Caleb rushed a throw to Loveland and airmailed him.

FWIW, I think Ben Johnson overcorrected a LITTLE too much for not going for it last week before the Lions went down to win the game. But I also don’t blame him for not trusting the defense at all. They cannot do a single thing. 21-3 at halftime and the Packers open with the ball…

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6. An adjustment has been made on defense — the Bears forced three and outs on the Packers’ first two possessions. Some zone defense being mixed in with some smart blitzes.

On offense, the Bears’ running game has been a challenge for a few weeks (quietly). And Jeff Hafley has things shut down again fairly well tonight. This was the unit that catapulted their offense’s rise after the bye week. Things need to be improved here…

Chicago had another opportunity in the deep red zone and had 4th and 1 inside the 10-yard line again. And essentially a seeming repeat of the game-losing INT from Green Bay happened. A free rusher on a play fake… INT. Brutal. Just opportunity after opportunity missed in this game.

7. Even if Johnson’s had a bit of a rougher game, it’s been a bad game for Caleb Williams. He’s missed a lot of throws with happy feet and poor mechanics — including a few first downs on high-leverage downs and some poor underthrows and overthrows. You want to see the QB play better than this heading (likely at this rate) into the offseason.

The Bears are playing like a team that’s a year ahead of schedule. A lot of missed opportunities, mistakes, pressing, and ultimately failed plays.

8. That’s four straight punts forced by the Bears’ defense. In fact, 4 straight three and outs. I’m not sure why this wasn’t possible in the first half, but much more impressive work by this defense to fluster Love and the Packers’ offense. At this point, it’s on the Bears’ offense to take advantage.

And the Bears marched right down the field — thanks to some big throws from Caleb to Colston Loveland, a nice weird windback screen to D’Andre Swift setting up a touchdown — to get back in the game. 21-16.

The Bears’ first half and second half dichotomies are so odd. But they’re alive. And that’s what matters after that first half showing — missed opportunities and all.

9. What a turn of events. Bears set up a couple of third and longs on the Packers’ ensuing drive. On one, Jordan Love hit Doubs on a slant against Kevin Byard and converted a big first down into field goal range.

A few plays later, refs didn’t call OPI on Jayden Reed on a PBU by Nahshon Wright … fittingly, the Packers scored a touchdown two plays later. Matthew Golden’s first of his career. 27-16 with about six minutes left. Awful tackling on that touchdown by the defense, too.

After playing so well in this half, that’s a tough one for the defense. But the Bears’ offense just didn’t take advantage of their opportunities before then.

10. Caleb Williams made one of the all-time throws on 4th and 8 to keep the season alive to Rome Odunze. Absolutely insane play. And a few plays later, the Bears had it back to 27-24 with 4 minutes left. Just ridiculousness from all involved. He continues to flash, even in continued uneven games.

Jordan Love sent the Packers right down the field with some insane throws. But the Bears locked up in the red zone and forced a field goal attempt… that Brandon McManus missed wide right. Just crazy.

A field goal ties it and a touchdown wins it. I don’t understand how we got here, but we did.

Caleb Williams: the stage is set.

11. You’ve gotta be kidding me, man. How do they keep doing this? Caleb Williams hit Colston Loveland, D’Andre Swift, and D.J. Moore for big plays en route to a touchdown. 31-27 Bears with 1:48 left. Truly insane.

Bears need one stop now. Just one stop. Can they do it?

12. Of course this game couldn’t end any other way. With the Packers driving and setting up 1st and 10 from near the red zone, the Bears buckled up and won the game. A final heave with the clock expiring from Love as he tried to navigate WRs in a muddled end zone fell harmlessly incomplete.

Your Chicago Bears have won a playoff game.

13. Truly an all-time game. All-time. No matter who won, the second half was a setup for the ages. The Packers blowing this game will set up interesting talk-show stuff up in Green Bay for some time. But for the Bears, they have won a playoff game and in Ben Johnson’s first season.

14. We’ll look ahead to next week when the time comes. For now, enjoy the win.

What a game.