The Chicago Bears, for the first time since 2020, played in a playoff game on Saturday night. The entire franchise has been overhauled since the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson, and he took them to the postseason in Year 1.
Their prize for being an 11-6 NFC North winner was a date with their heated rival Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. The Packers were the NFC playoff team struggling the most heading in, but they have had the Bears‘ number in big spots a lot in the last 20 years. The Bears had to fight off the skeletons that the organization has faced and the Packers at the same time.
This game did not go how Chicago wanted it to, for the most part. They were down 21-3 at halftime, making it seem like this was going to be another “same old Bears” situation. During halftime, they needed a complete change to everything they were doing if they even wanted to make it a game.
In the second half, the Bears did what they’ve done best all season long. They found a way to get a victory by making an 18-point comeback and eventually pulling ahead to win 31-27 to advance to the divisional round. The defense Bears started to shut down the Packers offense and Caleb Williams started to get the offense into the endzone.
Williams threw two early interceptions, but there was some fault in the route running on those plays, as well. The entire unit was off its game at the start. That all changed in the second half, and Williams ended with two touchdowns and 361 yards.
All of Williams’ weapons were available to him. Colston Loveland was the most productive with 137 yards on eight receptions. DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus both caught touchdowns from Williams. In his return from a five-week injury absence, Rome Odunze had two receptions for 44 yards, which were crucial late in the game. He now has another week to get back into game form to be at the level he was before his injury.
The running game also played a key role in Chicago’s win over Green Bay. Nobody ran for over 100 yards on their own, but the collective did the job of running the ball well enough to make the offense effective enough in the second half. D’Andre Swift had the lone rushing touchdown for Chicago.
While the defense was mostly lousy in the first half, they got it together in the second half. The most impressive part was their play on Green Bay’s final drive, attempting to win the game. Whether it was Montez Sweat thwarting Jordan Love or the defensive backs doing their jobs late, it was a masterpiece ending to an overall rough game.
Kicker Cairo Santos had his hands all over this win as well. He went 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 51-yarder, and went 2-for-2 on extra point attempts. One of Chicago’s touchdowns had a successful two-point conversion as well.
Next up for the Bears, after a long week of prep, will be the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Their opponent won’t be determined until Sunday, when the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers goes final.
Now that the Packers are out, any off-the-field factors won’t be on the minds of players, coaches, or fans. They can focus on football without the demons that exist for the franchise when the Packers are involved.
There is a lot of work to be done for the Bears, but this season is already a major success. Not only did they unexpectedly make the playoffs, but they also won the division and their first playoff game since 2011. With that, expectations change. Now, they must believe that they can go out and have a good week of practice with a chance to advance to Championship Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs Packers: Instant analysis from Chicago’s wild-card win
About the Author
