Hello, Chicago Bears fans! Coming at you this week with a special edition of the Good, Better, Best series – Bears vs. Packers in the playoffs. After that amazing game on Saturday night, it was difficult to figure out what to leave on the cutting room floor. I briefly toyed with the idea that it was all Best – and frankly, it mostly was! But I ultimately decided to stick with our formula and give you some highlights of the good, the better, and the absolute unbelievably best of the Bears improbable
victory over the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in the Wild Card round of the 2026 NFL playoffs. So, without further gilding of the lily – your GBB:
GOOD
Austin Booker & Montez Sweat
The Bears did not muster much pressure on Jordan Love in the first half, and it seemed that the season-long Achilles heel of the Bears’ defense might cost them dearly in their playoff matchup against the Packers. Austin Booker and Montez Sweat had a different idea in the second half. Both Booker and Sweat constantly harried Love with pressures, and Booker got a sack of Love. But perhaps the most important defensive play was Sweat hitting Love’s arm on the second to last play, forcing an incompletion. The two Bears edges came through when it mattered the most.
D.J. Moore
DJ had six receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown – certainly a good number for one of your top wide receivers in a playoff game, but not of particular note. Except, of course, for the catch to put the Bears up in the 4th quarter and win the game.
Cairo Santos
I have been critical of Mr. Santos. In an age where kickers are redefining the meaning of “field goal range,” Santos and his leg are relics of a bygone era. But one factor that I and others have missed in encouraging the Bears to move on from Cairo and find a bigger leg is the fact that, not only is Santos pretty accurate inside the 50, but he is a proven bad weather kicker. Nowhere was this more on display than in the Bears’ playoff game, where Cairo was perfect on his field goals and extra points, including a 51-yard boot – the first of its kind in playoff history for Soldier Field. The Packers kicker…yeah, not so much. Got to give Cairo his flowers.
BETTER
Dennis Allen 2nd Half Adjustments
The Chicago Bears allowed three first half touchdowns to Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers in their playoff game and it seemed like there was nothing they could do to stop the Packers from running away with the game. Many of us were wondering if Dennis Allen was the right guy to lead this Bears defense. Well, he answered the bell emphatically in the second half. His adjustments to produce more pressure had the Packers befuddled – and it was so important for the Bears to keep the Packers off the board if they were going to have a shot at the comeback. Four three-and-outs to start the second half, and only one touchdown (6 points) allowed in the entire second half. The Bears also caused four fumbles, unfortunately, though unable to recover any of them. DA put the Packers in a blender in the 2nd half and was key to the Bears’ win.
Rome Odunze Clutch Factor
Rome Odunze, in his first game back off of IR, showed the rust. And on the stat line, he didn’t accomplish much. Ya know, except for the most important catch of the game. When Caleb needed a guy to get open, to keep the drive alive on 4th and 8, Rome Odunze ran the length of the field, from right to left, to put himself in position to catch Caleb’s pass and keep the Bears’ season alive.
Two-Headed Monster: D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai
While the Bears didn’t pound the rock with their two-headed monster at running back the way I hoped they would in the first half, both running backs contributed significantly to the Bears’ victory. Interestingly, both had massive key catches on check-down passes from Caleb that flipped the field and got the Bears in scoring position three times. While KM may not have been able to figure out which way the water bottle works, he certainly figured out how to catch the rock and elude defenders. And Swift added to massive catches down the sideline in addition to a touchdown run.
BEST
Ben Johnson Offensive Scheme
Ben Johnson may have been a bit too aggressive on 4th down in the first half of the Bears’ playoff game against the Packers, but he continues to demonstrate elite playcalling – both in terms of scheme and his timing. BJ dials up a fake screen to get a wide-open DJ Moore the touchdown to go ahead in the 4th quarter. But perhaps more impressive was the 2-point conversion to Colston Loveland on the previous touchdown. BJ calls for a “strong” formation – coming out with an extra tackle and tight end – the clear indication is the Bears intend to run the ball against the suspect Packer interior defense to get the two-point conversion. Packers counter with a jumbo formation of their own – with only one DB on the field. When the Bears motion out into a passing formation – the Packers are forced to cover Loveland with a linebacker. Easy pitch and catch, and the rest is history.
Caleb “Iceman” Williams does it again on 4th Down
Caleb has refined clutch this season. His 4th quarter comebacks are quickly becoming a thing of legend. He did it again this weekend. On 4th and 8 with the Bears clearly on their last gasp, he avoided pressure, jumped in the air, and layered a pass over and between four defenders to Rome Odunze to get the first down and keep the Bears alive. The Iceman Cometh.
Ozzy gets off the field
Ozzy Trapilo was having the game of his life. PFF had him rated as the top offensive lineman for the Bears in the playoffs. But on the Bears’ last offensive drive, Ozzy Trapilo gets bowled over, and his leg catches under him. What no one realized at the time is that he had ruptured his patella tendon. This is an injury that, for most players, requires being carted off the field. Not Ozzy, though. With the Bears absolutely needing to preserve their crucial final timeout, Ozzy gritted through the pain and hopped to the sideline – saving that timeout for the Bears.
Colston Loveland Sets Records
Colston Loveland’s rookie season was already one of the better rookie seasons for a TE in NFL history, but on Saturday night, in a playoff game against the hated Packers, he took it to a whole other level. Loveland caught eight passes for 137 yards, with 115 of those yards coming in the second half. He was clearly Caleb’s go-to receiver in the game. Loveland’s 137 receiving yards are the second-most by a rookie tight end in a single game in NFL postseason history, behind only the great Keith Jackson, who posted 142 yards in 1988.
Beating the Packers TWICE and in the Playoffs in Soldier Field
The headline says it all, Bears fans. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t better. It was FTP BEST!!!!
