The Game
The Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-27 in the NFC Wild Card Round at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026. The Bears rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit and a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to advance to the Divisional Round. The comeback represented the largest postseason comeback in Bears franchise history and the third-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL playoff history.
Chicago outscored Green Bay 25-6 in the fourth quarter. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Moore with 1:54 remaining for the game-winning score. Williams completed the game with 381 passing yards and two touchdowns, throwing for 184 yards in the fourth quarter alone compared to 177 yards in the first three quarters combined. Chicago has since locked up a starter from that run: right tackle Darnell Wright signed a four-year, $116 million extension in August with $93 million guaranteed, the most ever for an NFL offensive lineman.
Game Progression
Cairo Santos opened scoring with a 27-yard field goal to give Chicago a 3-0 lead. The Packers built their advantage to 21-3 by halftime. Chicago cut the deficit to 21-6 with a 34-yard Santos field goal in the third quarter. Safety Kevin Byard intercepted a pass tipped by Jaquan Brisker for his seventh interception of the season, which led the league.
Tight end Cole Kmet caught a two-point conversion to tie the game 16-16 in the fourth quarter. Tight end Colston Loveland finished with 137 receiving yards on multiple connections with Williams, including catches of 29 yards and 22 yards. Williams converted a fourth-and-2 with an 18-yard pass to Moore earlier in the game. Defensive end Austin Booker recorded a sack of Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
Series Context
The game marked the third postseason meeting between the NFC North rivals. Chicago won a Western Division playoff game 33-14 at Wrigley Field on December 14, 1941. Green Bay defeated Chicago 21-14 in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field on January 23, 2011. The teams split their regular season series in 2025, each winning at home.
In Week 16, Chicago completed a 22-16 overtime comeback victory after erasing a 10-point deficit in the final minutes of regulation, with Williams throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass to Moore. The Packers entered the playoffs on a four-game losing streak, finishing the regular season 9-7-1. Chicago finished the regular season 11-6 as NFC North champions and the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Personnel Notes
Jordan Love returned as Packers starting quarterback for the first time since December 20, when he left the game in Chicago with a concussion. In 15 regular season games, Love completed 66.3% of his passes for 3,381 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. Williams made his playoff debut as the No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft.
The game aired exclusively on Amazon Prime Video nationally, with local over-the-air broadcasts in the Chicago market on FOX 32 and in the Green Bay market on NBC26.
Comments