After forcing the Packers to turn the ball over on downs to open overtimes, the Bears only needed a field goal to win and take another step toward the NFC North title but they opted against a conservative approach.
On a first down from the Green Bay 46-yard line, they went for all the marbles and saw their bet pay off. Quarterback Caleb Williams went for wide receiver DJ Moore in the end zone even though Packers corner Keisean Nixon was draped all over him. Nixon picked Williams off in the end zone to end the first game between the two teams, but the ball got to Moore this time and the wideout touched off a raucous celebration at Soldier Field by holding on for the score.
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After the game, Williams said in his press conference that the play was installed late in the week after a film session with head coach Ben Johnson. Williams said that it worked in practice and that he knew it was a winner when the ball left his hand on Saturday.
“Yeah, I knew it was good,” Williams said. “You got that belief, you got that confidence, you got that swagger as an offense. You practice well, you hit plays like that in practice. It was pretty identical to practice. When the play gets called and the moment comes up like that, it’s time to go hit it, it’s time to go win the game.”
Williams also threw a touchdown to tie the game with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Bears have won six games after trailing in the fourth quarter this season. That does a lot for an offense’s swagger and it has done a lot to position the Bears to play in front of that Soldier Field crowd in a postseason game for the first time since 2018.
