Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams delivers his masterpiece

CHICAGO – Really, what Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams accomplished Saturday night in the NFL playoffs shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

So often this season – more frequently, in fact, than any other QB – Williams has achieved the improbable, overcoming fourth-quarter deficits in leading the Bears to victory. With that backdrop, it wasn’t a shocker that Williams in his first postseason game would stun the Green Bay Packers and deliver one of the greatest playoff moments in the history of the almost 106-year-old franchise.

Right?

Well, some would argue that despite Williams’ penchant for late-game heroics in his impressive second season, the Bears’ thrilling 31-27 come-from-behind victory was still next-level stuff – even for him.

One thing’s for sure: Bears head coach Ben Johnson never grows tired of seeing his protégé grab his cape.

“Caleb came through for us,” Johnson said after enjoying a long postgame celebration with his team. “He made big-time throws in some crucial situations.”

In rallying the NFC North champion to a victory over its division archrival in the wild-card round – Chicago’s first playoff win in 15 years – Williams shook off two interceptions and an 18-point halftime deficit, then led the Bears back from 15 points behind in the final quarter. That’s the one in which the Bears outscored the Packers 25-6.

Williams threw a go-ahead, 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Moore with 1:43 remaining – Chicago’s first lead since midway through the first quarter. And then Williams had to wait. Nervously.

It appeared the Bears may have left too much time for Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who played brilliantly.

Sure enough, Love directed Green Bay to Chicago’s 28-yard line. But Love’s pass in the end zone was broken up as time expired, completing the Packers’ stunning loss and Williams’ latest signature moment against them.

During a 22-16 victory in overtime against the Packers in Week 16, Williams rallied the Bears from a 10-point deficit late in the fourth. His six fourth-quarter comeback victories during the regular season were the most in the NFL, and tied Peyton Manning’s record for the most in league history by a first- or second-year signal-caller.

After Williams’ first late-game masterpiece in the playoffs, an overwhelmingly Bears-centric crowd of 60,338 at Soldier Field – silenced for much of the team’s horrid first half – reveled in something that was unfamiliar to it: a young, star quarterback delivering at the most important time of the year.

This is what the Bears hoped for when they acquired Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. And judging by the hugging and jumping for joy that occurred in the stands long after the game’s final play – heck, in the Bears’ locker room, too – no one seems to be second-guessing the decision.

“Belief. Belief. That’s all you need,” Williams said of his mindset as the Bears pummeled the Packers in the fourth. “You’ve got belief in the coaches that they’re gonna call the right play at the right time. You’ve got belief in the players that you’re gonna make the right play at the right time.

“All I said to the guys [was] you don’t need to be Superman. You don’t need to go in and do anything … crazy. You just gotta go out there and focus and do your job. And those guys looked me in the eyes and said, ‘We’re gonna make it happen.’ That’s what they said to me. The belief was there. The trust was there.”

For the Bears, Williams being there was most important.

His second-half act was outstanding.

At halftime, he had only 78 passing yards with no touchdowns and an interception. He finished the game with 361 passing yards and two touchdowns.

His fiery leadership was perhaps as important as his deft passing touch.

As the Bears appeared inept in the first half, television cameras captured Williams demanding more of them. Williams did what he believed he needed to do. And considering the results, who could argue?

“Obviously, some frustrating moments,” Williams acknowledged. “Us just not doing our job. Just not focused on the details. Those types of things that, in these games, can’t happen.

“Early in the game, me being vocal, was coming from the anger. It wasn’t guys out there not giving effort. It was just guys not being where they need to be at the right time.”

In the nick of time, as he’s prone to do, Williams steered the Bears in the right direction. The Packers, meanwhile, kept heading the other way – and that’s how their season ended.

On Saturday, they wasted Love’s 323-yard, four-touchdown gem. Green Bay ended the season with five consecutive losses.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is now 3-6 in the playoffs. Saturday’s second-half meltdown and the season-ending collapse are sure to stir questions about the team’s direction under LaFleur.

Obviously, the Bears don’t have such concerns. They’re on to the divisional round, where they’ll host another game. And their confidence continues to grow in their rising star quarterback – who’s making quite a name for himself when the clock ticks loudest.

The post Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams delivers his masterpiece appeared first on Andscape.