Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was ready for the moment Saturday, both on the football field and in front of the camera.
The playoff lights looked too bright for Williams in the first half of the Bears’ Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The Bears could only muster a field goal at the break, trailing 21-3 after a first half that saw Chicago turn the ball over on its last three possessions. Williams looked visibly frustrated early, going 8/17 for 78 yards with an interception.
Caleb Williams at halftime:
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) January 11, 2026
8/17
78 passing yards
0 TDs, 1 INT
35.9 ratingpic.twitter.com/5BtLapxzN5
The second half was a different story. Williams led the Bears to scoring drives on five of its six possessions after halftime, including three straight touchdowns to cap off a stunning 31-27 comeback victory.
“We understand that it’s 60 minutes of football,” Williams said during his postgame interview. “We understand and know who we are. We understand what this means to the city. We understand what this means to the organization. We also understand what it means to us. You keep going, you keep going, you keep fighting, and when the clock hits zero, you’ll look up and see who wins.
“Right before I walked out, I told the offensive line, I told the other quarterbacks, ‘We’re going to protect our den today.’ This is the den, the fans helped us.”
Williams finished with a 24/48 passing clip for 361 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also rushed for 20 yards on 4 carries.
The comeback from down 18 points was the largest in Bears postseason history. The wild result also gave the team its first playoff win in 15 years.
Chicago sports fans had quite the Saturday night as the Bears’ come-from-behind win came within an hour of the Chicago Cubs making a splashy signing in free agency.
