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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Chicago Bears rallied from a 21–3 halftime deficit to defeat the Green Bay Packers 31–27 in the NFC Wild Card at Soldier Field on Saturday.
Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams engineered the comeback, completing 24 of 48 passes for 361 yards and two late touchdowns, including a 25-yard go-ahead score to DJ Moore with 1:43 remaining, while rookie tight end Colston Loveland added a career-high 137 receiving yards.
Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns, but a final-play pass was deflected, sealing the Packers’ elimination and sending Chicago into the divisional round.
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Following the game, a video circulated from the Bears’ locker room showing head coach Ben Johnson opening a celebratory speech by yelling an expletive directed at Green Bay — “[expletive] the Packers” — and repeatedly expressing his disdain for the longtime rival during an emotional address to players.
When asked on Monday about his postgame language, Johnson stood by his comments.
"There’s a rivalry that exists between these two teams. Something that I fully recognize and am a part of," Johnson said. "I don’t like that team. [Chairman] George [McCaskey] and I have talked, and we’re on the same page."
Chicago finished the regular season 11–6, won the NFC North, and reached the postseason behind a young, balanced offense and multiple fourth-quarter comebacks.
The Wild Card victory extends a breakout first season under Johnson, who arrived in Chicago after two seasons as Detroit’s offensive coordinator and previous NFL assistant roles with the Miami Dolphins.
A first-time NFL head coach with a strong play-calling background who helped build top-five offenses, Johnson signed a five-year, $65 million contract with the Bears in January 2025, averaging roughly $13 million per season.
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With Wild Card Weekend complete, the NFL divisional-round slate is set, with the No. 2 Bears set to host the No. 5 Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday.
The remaining matchups are also finalized: the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks will host the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers in the other NFC divisional game, while the No. 1 Denver Broncos will host the No. 6 Buffalo Bills in one AFC Divisional matchup.
The No. 2 New England Patriots will host the winner of Monday night’s No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. No. 5 Houston Texans game in the other AFC Divisional contest.
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