The Chicago Bears opened the NFL postseason with a statement, knocking off the Green Bay Packers in what was one of the most improbable wins in NFL history.
Now, the Bears are preparing for a Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, but the spotlight remains firmly on quarterback Caleb Williams. In his first career playoff start, Williams delivered a performance that not only lifted Chicago past Green Bay but also etched his name into the NFL record books.
Chicago Bears Share Caleb Williams Playoff Achievements
Following the Bears’ Wild Card victory, senior writer Larry Mayer highlighted several remarkable milestones from Williams’ playoff debut, with numbers that place him alongside some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
Williams threw for 361 yards against the Packers, which was the most passing yards by an NFL quarterback in a playoff debut since Matthew Stafford threw for 380 back in 2011.
Funny considering that’s who Williams will be up against this Sunday.
With the win, Williams also joined Hall of Famer Kurt Warner as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to record at least 350 passing yards and earn a victory in their first postseason start.
The last news Mayer mentioned surrounding Williams was his 184 passing yards in the fourth quarter were the most in the final period of a postseason game since Tom Brady’s 196 passing yards in the Super Bowl LI comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons.
For a young quarterback making his playoff debut against a division rival, his performance when it mattered most was nothing short of extraordinary.
Never Count the Bears Out
It’s clear that this Bears squad is never going to give up.
A big reason why could be traced back to veterans Grady Jarrett and Joe Thuney. Ben Johnson had Jarrett, who was with the Falcons, and Thuney, who was with the Patriots during the infamous 28-3 choke during Super Bowl LI, talk to the guys to share their takeaways from the game.
“I think it’s just a good lesson to be learned that it’s 28-3 in the middle of the third quarter, and yet the game still is being played and there is a lot of time left,” Johnson said.
Williams commented on the Bears’ late heroics this season, saying, “It’s no fluke. It’s no, ‘Oh, this happened, we’re lucky.’ We’ve done it multiple times this year. It’s been proven to be for us to be a great second-half team.”
The Bears had just a 4.6% win probability when the Packers were up 27-16 with 6:36 left in the fourth quarter. Let that sink in.
As the Bears prepare for the Rams this weekend, the hope isn’t to be in a pickle like they were against Green Bay. But the Rams should know by now to never count out the Bears.
Bears Announce Caleb Williams News After Packers Victory