This season’s version of the Chicago Bears is as adept at late-game comebacks as perhaps any offense ever constructed in NFL history based on the hard statistics, but living on the edge of a knife in the second half of next week’s Divisional Round playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams isn’t an option in the mind of Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
Johnson spoke directly to his offense’s tendencies to start slow and finish fast during a media session on Wednesday, January 14.
“We don’t want to put ourselves in a hole against a team like this like we’ve done a number of times this year,” Johnson said, per Chris Emma of 670 The Score in Chicago. “We talk about playing a complete game on offense — this is the week that needs to happen for us to beat this team.”
Caleb Williams Authored Bears’ 7th Late-Game Comeback Win in 18 Outings This Season Against Packers in Round 1
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Chicago set an NFL record during the 2025 regular season by coming back to win six times after trailing in the final two minutes of a contest.
The Bears then hit lucky No. 7 against the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the NFC playoffs last weekend, coming back from down 18 points at halftime and down 11 points more than midway through the final period.
Quarterback Caleb Williams, who completed 24-of-48 passes for 361 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs on the afternoon, connected on a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Moore with 1:43 remaining. The score and subsequent extra point gave the Bears a 31-27 lead, which the defense held.
It was the second time in a month that Chicago authored a double-digit comeback in the fourth quarter to best Green Bay at Soldier Field (Week 16). But as good as the Packers are, the Rams appear on paper — and by regular-season/playoff record — to be a superior opponent, which is a fact Johnson pointed to directly on Wednesday.
Rams Entered Playoffs With NFL’s Top-Rated Offense, While Bears Defense Among Worst in League
GettyQuarterback Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams.
At this point, the Bears (11-6, 1-0) have won more games while trailing late (7) than otherwise (5). Meanwhile, the Rams have shown themselves potentially more gettable of late than during the middle of the season, when they were among the most popular Super Bowl picks across the national media.
Los Angeles (12-5, 1-0) lost two consecutive games in Weeks 16 and 17 against the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. The Rams then narrowly escaped a playoff road outing against the Carolina Panthers in Round 1, mounting their own late-game comeback to avoid elimination.
Down four points, L.A. scored a go-ahead touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in regulation. The Rams, who won the contest by a score of 34-31, entered the postseason as the No. 1 offense in the NFL. The Bears offense was No. 6 on the year.
Through one week of the playoffs, Chicago has the No. 1 offense (445 yards), while the Rams are No. 3 (411 yards). The Los Angeles defense was essentially middle of the road during the year, finishing at No. 17. The Bears defense, however, finished the season ranked No. 29.
Chicago held the Packers to just six points in the second half of the victory on Wildcard Weekend, which allowed the comeback to materialize. However, it is unlikely the Bears defensive unit could mount two such quarters against the Rams, hence the importance of a quick start for Chicago and the ability to keep pace with L.A. throughout the course of the evening.
Ben Johnson Calls Out Bears Offense Ahead of Rams Playoff Game