Ben Johnson went for the Packers’ throats and Caleb Williams and DJ Moore drove the final nail into Green Bay’s coffin
The walk-off TD to DJ Moore felt like a true miracle for the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears needed some late-game magic on Saturday night against the Green Bay Packers to pull off another comeback victory and be it luck, magic, or pure preparation and execution, the Bears delivered when it counted to improve to 11-4 on the season.
The talk going into this divisional rematch centered around whether or not the Bears could start faster on offense under head coach Ben Johnson, an issue that’s plagued the offense all season long.
Once again, the Bears fell flat out of the gate scoring just once on their first five possessions of the game. Yet, the Bears never wavered nor lowered a head on the sidelines after each failed drive. They’ve been in this position before all season and were prepared to fight for a full 60 minutes and strike when the opportunity finally presented itself. It finally did, and the Bears made the Packers pay.
Ben Johnson saved his best play of the game for when it mattered most
KC: Take a bow, Caleb. Chicago’s most recent magnificent moment in a season that’s been filled with them offers a blend of what makes Williams such a prolific passer and what makes Ben Johnson such an impactful play caller. There’s league-trends in Chicago’s design and there’s elite physical ability in Williams’ execution on the game-winner against the Packers.
Ben Johnson tied it all together at the perfect time
Chicago aligned under center in 13 personnel, with TEs Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland aligned to the left of the formation. Kmet would motion ahead of the snap to block on the right side. Chicago placed TE Durham Smythe at fullback in the I-formation with rookie RB Kyle Monangai set deep. DJ Moore was the line receiver on the play, lined up as the X to Williams’ right. On the surface, the play is basic: play action pass with a deep post over the top.
But it’s the structure of the formation, with two tight ends and heavy, downhill run action with the fullback that pairs with the big post to make this play happen. Green Bay’s back seven, with the Bears on the fringe of scoring territory, was aggressive — they were ready to fit the run and try to keep the Bears outside of field goal territory.
By the time the Packers defense processed pass, the post by Moore was way out over the top of the secondary and there for the taking. That is, of course, if Williams could connect.
Williams’ off-platform brilliance comes in handy once again
Williams had to navigate a pair of blocks by Kmet and Smythe to buy enough time to lay this ball out. Because of the run action, the two tight ends were responsible for the right side of the pocket for Williams. Smythe, in particular, had his hands full with LB Quay Walker, who added on to the rush as the backfield action unfolded. Williams had to fade off the top of his drop, away from the pressure from Walker. On his second hitch, the ball is out — off-platform and away from his throwing side. The end result? A 56 air-yard handoff to Moore for the game.
Get fired up, Bears fans. The future is bright — and as it turns out, thanks to heroics like these, the future is also now.
KN: After the postgame chaos, Williams addressed the media in the locker room and noted the final touchdown to Moore was a play he and Johnson went over in his office earlier in the week. On Thursday, Williams and Johnson took the play out to the practice field and it worked to perfection.
“It almost looked identical to that,” Johnson told reporters after the game. “I thought Caleb threw a dime in practice and DJ came down with it. We’re hopeful it may or may not be there. We timed that one up right, DJ ran a great route and Caleb threw him a great ball.”
Credit to the coaching and preparation this team puts in on a weekly basis, and the patience during the actual game. Multiple times this season, the Bears have dialed up the perfect play call against the ideal look to perfection, resulting in game-winning touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles. Credit to the confidence from Williams as well being able to deliver in those moments for his team.
Caleb Williams continues to have ice in his veins on the biggest stage
It was a sixth fourth-quarter comeback for Williams, tying Peyton Manning for the most such games in a single season by a player under the age of 25 in NFL history. It’s not a sustainable winning method by any means, but it’s a stat that speaks to the level of confidence Williams has in himself to make a play when his team needs it most.
“I knew it was good,” Williams said after the game. “You’ve got that belief, you’ve got that confidence, you’ve got that swagger as an offense. You practice well, you hit plays like that in practice. It was pretty identical to practice. When the play gets called, the moment comes up like that, it’s time to go hit it. It’s time to go win the game.”
The sixth fourth-quarter comeback extends a franchise record for Chicago and continues to prove when No. 18 is on the field, you better be glued to the seat for all 60 minutes to see what kind of magic he can string together to will his team to victory.
“What do they call him, the Iceman?” Moore asked. “He just was cool, calm, and collected all game. And when we needed a big play, he was there to put it on the money.”
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