CHICAGO — Caleb Williams hit DJ Moore with a 25-yard touchdown pass with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bears overcame a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit for an improbable 31-27 victory over the visiting Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild-card game between NFC North division rivals Saturday night.
Chicago, which trailed 21-6 entering the final quarter, pulled within 27-24 with 4:18 remaining on Williams’ 8-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus and two-point conversion toss to Colston Loveland.
Green Bay answered with an eight-play, 43-yard driver but Brandon McManus’ 44-yard field goal attempt was wide right.
The Bears responded with a 66-yard drive capped by Williams go-ahead toss to Moore who was open in the end zone to cap a 25-point fourth quarter.
Green Bay then drove to the Chicago 23 with 22 seconds left, but Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw an incomplete pass and Green Back had to take a 10-second runoff when a lineman went down injured with the team out of timeouts. The Packers were then called for a false start and another incomplete pass followed. Love’s pass on the final play was incomplete in the end zone.
Second-seeded Chicago (12-6), which won the North despite ending the regular season with two losses, picked up its first playoff win since 2010 and will next weekend host a divisional playoff game.
Seventh-seeded Green Bay (9-8-1) lost its final five games.
It was the third meeting in six games between the division rivals. The Packers won the first game at home 28-21 in early December. They did not win another game.
The Bears averted the regular-season sweep two weeks later with a 22-16 victory in overtime, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation.
On Saturday, Williams completed 24 of 48 passes for 361 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. D’Andre Swift had a team-high 54 yards rushing on 13 carries with a touchdown.
Love completed 24 of 46 passes for 323 yards with four touchdowns without a pick.
Green Bay dominated the first half en route to a 21-3 lead at the break. But the Packers punted on their first four possessions of the second half as the Bears rallied within 21-16 on Swift’s 6-yard scoring run that capped a 66-yard drive with 10:08 remaining.
Green Bay answered when Matthew Golden turned a short swing pass into a 23-yard touchdown, but McManus missed the extra point for a 27-16 lead with 6:36 left.
Chicago pulled within 21-9 to open the second half on field goals of 34 and 51 yards by Cairo Santos.
Love had touchdown passes on each of Green Bay’s first three possessions for the 21-3 halftime lead.
Love hit Christian Watson with a 7-yard touchdown pass with 2:06 left in the first quarter to put Green Bay in front 7-3.
Love’s 18-yard scoring toss to Jayden Reed extended the lead to 14-3 midway through the second quarter.
Love’s 1-yard touchdown toss to Romeo Doubs made it 21-3 with 1:56 left in the half.
Chicago drove to the Green Bay 9 on the opening possession of the game before settling for Santos’ 27-yard field goal.
–Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media
