Bears Stun Packers With Historic Fourth-Quarter Rally to Reach Divisional Round
Chicago erases 18-point deficit in rivalry thriller to secure first playoff win in 15 years
The Chicago Bears delivered one of the most dramatic postseason victories in franchise history, storming back from an 18-point deficit to defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-27 in an NFC Wild Card showdown at Soldier Field and advance to the Divisional Round for the first time since 2010.[1][2][3]
Down 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 entering the fourth quarter, the NFC North champions unleashed a stunning late surge, scoring 25 points in the final quarter to overturn what had looked like a comfortable Packers advantage.[1][2][3] The comeback marked the largest playoff rally in Bears history and ended a 14-season postseason victory drought that had tied for the third-longest active streak in the NFL entering this year’s playoffs.[1]
Fourth-quarter explosion flips the script
Chicago’s offense, quiet for three quarters, came alive in the final 15 minutes. The Bears outscored Green Bay 25-6 in the fourth, repeatedly marching the length of the field while their defense tightened against quarterback Jordan Love and a Packers attack that had dominated early.[1][2][3]
Running back D’Andre Swift ignited the rally with a short touchdown run early in the quarter, capping a drive that finally gave the home crowd reason to believe.[1][3] That score pulled the Bears within one possession and set the tone for a furious finish in which Chicago scored on all four of its fourth-quarter drives.[1]
On the decisive series, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams orchestrated a composed, six-play, 66-yard march in the closing minutes.[1] With the Bears trailing and the season on the line, Williams found star receiver DJ Moore wide open for a 25-yard touchdown that gave Chicago the lead for good with under two minutes to play.[1][2][3] Williams later said he recognized a vulnerability in Green Bay’s coverage even before the snap and felt the play would break the game open.[1]
Williams shines in playoff debut
Making his first postseason start, Williams embodied the resilience that has defined the Bears’ season. Chicago has repeatedly thrived in late-game situations, and this victory marked its seventh fourth-quarter comeback of head coach Ben Johnson’s first year at the helm.[2][3]
Williams, who struggled early as the Packers built their lead, steadied in the second half and delivered in the highest-leverage moments. He led multiple scoring drives under pressure and leaned on his connection with Moore, who once again proved to be the Bears’ primary game-breaking threat on the outside.[1][2][3]
After the game, Williams pointed to an unshakable belief running through the locker room. He described the mindset as rooted in trust—trust that the coaching staff would find the right calls and that the players would execute them when it mattered most.[3] That belief, he said, was the difference in turning an 18-point hole into a statement win over a bitter rival.
Defense delivers critical stops as time runs out
Even after Moore’s go-ahead score, the Bears still had to withstand one last surge from Green Bay. Love, who had already thrown four touchdown passes and crossed the 300-yard mark in his return from concussion, pushed the Packers deep into Chicago territory on the final drive.[2][3]
Green Bay advanced inside the Bears’ 25-yard line in the closing seconds, threatening to silence the Soldier Field crowd one final time.[6][7] But Chicago’s defense, led all season by coordinator Dennis Allen, stiffened at the goal line. On the final play, a pass into the end zone fell incomplete as time expired, triggering a roar from the stands and a wave of celebration on the Bears sideline.[1][5][6]
The second-half defensive turnaround was as pivotal as the offensive surge. Chicago forced quick punts on Green Bay’s first four possessions after the break, buying vital time for Williams and the offense to climb out of their early rut.[1] The unit also benefited from two missed kicks by Packers veteran Brandon McManus in the fourth quarter—a missed extra point and a wide-right 44-yard field goal—that left the door open for Chicago’s rally.[3][7]
Ben Johnson’s message: ‘This one meant something to us’
The victory carried added emotional weight given the long-standing rivalry between the two franchises and recent noise emanating from Green Bay’s camp. Head coach Ben Johnson, who has guided Chicago through a season of reinvention, acknowledged that the Bears took notice of comments coming from the Packers earlier in the week and used them as fuel.[1]
“There was probably a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north at the start of the week, which we heard loud and clear,” Johnson said, noting that both players and coaches felt the added stakes of beating their divisional rival on the playoff stage.[1]
Johnson praised his team’s identity as a resilient group that refuses to back down, especially late in games. “We keep fighting. We’ve been proving that this year. That’s who we are, that’s what we do,” he said, underscoring how Saturday’s performance fit seamlessly into a season-long pattern of late comebacks and poised finishes.[3]
Historical significance and what’s next
The comeback not only sends Chicago into the Divisional Round but also reshapes the recent narrative around a franchise that has struggled to convert regular-season promise into postseason success. Before this win, the Bears had not tasted playoff victory since their 2010 Divisional Round triumph over Seattle, a run that ended with a home loss to Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game that same year.[1][3]
This time, the Bears flipped the script. Instead of suffering another crushing postseason defeat at the hands of their rivals, they staged an all-time rally to send the Packers home and keep their own title hopes alive. The win also continues a recent shift in the rivalry’s momentum: Chicago has now taken three of the last five meetings against Green Bay, including this playoff clash.[2]
Chicago will now host a Divisional Round game, a reward for both its NFC North crown and its Wild Card heroics.[2][3][8] The opponent has yet to be determined, but the Bears will enter the next stage of the postseason as a battle-tested group that has repeatedly shown it can respond when placed under maximum pressure.
There is, however, a significant concern on the injury front. Linebacker T.J. Edwards, a key figure in the middle of Chicago’s defense, is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a leg injury in the second quarter when his foot became tangled and bent awkwardly on a play involving Packers receiver Christian Watson.[2] His absence will test the Bears’ depth at linebacker as they prepare for a tougher challenge in the Divisional Round.
Season of comebacks reaches its defining moment
The Bears entered the postseason as the NFC’s No. 2 seed, a turnaround that seemed unlikely just one year ago. Under Johnson, they have developed into a balanced, physical team built on a resilient defense, a dynamic young quarterback and a knack for seizing games late.[1][4][8] Saturday’s win distilled those traits into a single, unforgettable night.
For the fans at Soldier Field, the game will endure as an instant classic: a frigid rivalry showdown that swung dramatically from disappointment to euphoria in the span of one quarter. For the Bears, it is both a cathartic end to years of postseason frustration and a launching point for a deeper run they firmly believe they are built to make.
As Chicago turns its attention to the Divisional Round, one thing is clear: this team has already proven that no deficit is too large and no stage too big. The Bears are moving on, and they are doing so with momentum, belief and a newly restored sense of playoff pedigree.