Bears found themselves in historic company with comeback playoff win over Packers, and it’s not by coincidence
It’s clear the Chicago Bears were prepared for anything this season.
Heading into the first round of the playoffs, Chicago Bears first-year head coach Ben Johnson had a strong warning for the rest of the NFC field.
If you aim to beat this team, you better be prepared to play for all 60 minutes and you better look to knock this team out for good when you get the opportunity.
“I think teams understand when they play us now that they have to earn it,” Johnson explained during the week. “They gotta really close us out if they want to get a victory. Because, we can score points in a bunches, we can do it in a short amount of time, and I think we’ve proven that.”
The Green Bay Packers learned that lesson the hard way on Saturday night, blowing a 21-3 lead in the second half and ultimately losing the game, 31-27.
Bears comeback in wild card round rivals some of the best playoff comebacks in NFL history
With an 18-point comeback in the second-half, the Bears became the fourth team in NFL history to win a playoff game after trailing by 15+ points in the fourth quarter. The last team to accomplish such a rare feat was Tom Brady the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, coming back from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons.
That Super Bowl LI comeback remains the greatest comeback, and biggest choke, in NFL history and it’s one the Bears know well. Two members of the team’s current roster played in both sides of that game in former Patriots guard Joe Thuney and former Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Both veterans were brought to Chicago this offseason to add that kind of valuable experience to the roster and that specific game is one the Bears showed to the entire team going into the season.
“It was just great to get perspective from both of those players of how that game went down,” Johnson told reporters after Saturday’s win. “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’s still being played and there’s a lot of time left. That was my message to the group, just reminding them that this has been done before.”
That message was well received and called back on many times this season. In Saturday’s game alone, the Bears scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback. And call it what you want, the Bears continue to prove they have the belief needed to win these kind of games.
Caleb Williams reaches the mountain top of a specific stat in the process
If you want an idea of how rare of a season the Bears are in the midst of, look no further than this stat.
Following Saturday’s win, quarterback Caleb Williams now has the most fourth-quarter comebacks (7) in a season by a player under the age of 25 in NFL history, breaking a tie he had with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
But, it’s not just the quarterback, it’s the entire team and the faith this organization shows in the face of adversity. It’s incredible to watch and the Bears are hoping that magic keeps on going for three more games.
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