Recovering an onside kick has become very rare in the NFL with new rules. That’s what made the Chicago Bears’ win Saturday night seem like a miracle.
The Bears trailed by 10 points late in the fourth quarter after a long drive by the Packers, quarterbacked by Malik Willis after Jordan Love was knocked out of the game due to a concussion, and the offense hadn’t done much to that point. The Packers were on the verge of taking over first place in the NFC North.
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But the Bears recovered an onside kick inside the two-minute warning after Packers receiver Romeo Doubs couldn’t handle it and then Caleb Williams had a great touchdown throw on a fourth down with 24 seconds left to tie it. In overtime, Willis fumbled the snap on a fourth down, and then Williams made the most important throw of his career, hitting DJ Moore for a 46-yard touchdown for a walk-off 22-16 win.
“A lot of ups and downs on our side, but we fought to the end [and] made that s*** happen,” Moore said in a colorful postgame interview with Fox shortly after his game-winning grab.
“It means a lot. And at the end of the day, it’s eff the Packers always.”
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Of course, this is what Moore wore in the victorious locker room:
The win was also a statement game for Williams, who didn’t do much for most of regulation but made two spectacular touchdown passes to give the Bears a win that might ultimately decide the NFC North title.
The Bears are 11-4, and lead the 9-5-1 Packers by a game and a half with two to play in the NFC North. It has been a surprising season for Chicago in Ben Johnson’s first season as its head coach. And nothing was more surprising than how the Bears somehow pulled a win out of the fire after they were completely outplayed for 58 minutes Saturday night.
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Jordan Love leaves game with head injury
The tone of the game changed in the second quarter. Love was about to be sacked by Bears defensive end Austin Booker, and he lowered his head before impact. Booker hit him helmet to helmet, which was penalized even though Love ducked his head, and Love stayed down. He was helped off by athletic trainers and after a quick trip to the medical tent, he went back to the locker room.
“I just know when a guy gets hit in the head, that I was prepared for the worst I would say in that moment,” head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters.
The Packers had to turn to Willis at quarterback. He finished the drive in which Love exited the game, and led the Packers to a field goal. That gave the Packers a 6-0 lead at halftime.
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The Packers had to change their offense with Willis in the game, and he played pretty well. Willis started two games last season for the Packers when Love was injured and they won both, and Green Bay shifted to that run-based offense with Willis on Saturday night. The Packers seemed to have the game in hand when they went on a long drive in the fourth quarter and kicked a field goal for a 16-6 lead.
The Packers were without All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons on defense and Love on offense, but still led at Soldier Field in their biggest game of the season to date. And late into the fourth quarter, it seemed like Green Bay would cruise to a huge win despite missing its quarterback and best defensive player.
On the other side, the Bears were struggling in their biggest game in many years. The offense wasn’t getting any big plays, and the defense couldn’t take advantage of Willis being in the game. But late in the fourth quarter the Bears caught a huge break.
Bears come back to tie it
The Bears kicked a field goal to cut Green Bay’s lead to 16-9 but needed to recover an onside kick, which has become very rare with new rules. But Doubs couldn’t recover the onside and the Bears got it.
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They had 1:56 left to get in the end zone. Williams got the Bears inside the 10-yard line. On fourth-and-4 Williams faded back against the rush and hit Jahdae Walker in the back of the end zone for Chicago’s first touchdown of the game with 24 seconds left. The Bears could have gone for the 2-point conversion and the lead but kicked the extra point and the game went to overtime.
The Packers got the ball first in overtime. Willis got the Packers into Bears territory on a nice pass to Jayden Reed, which gained 31 yards. Willis was stopped on a bootleg run on third-and-1, and it wasn’t close enough for the Packers to try a long field goal in windy conditions. On fourth-and-1, the Packers fumbled the snap, Emanuel Wilson recovered but couldn’t get the first down and the Bears took over.
Williams threw deep to Moore with Keisean Nixon, who was the hero of the first meeting between the teams with a last-minute interception, draped all over him. Moore made a fantastic catch on a great throw to end the game.
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Jason Owens
This is the stuff of Chicago Bears legend.
Caleb Williams just hit DJ Moore for a contested deep ball in the end zone. Keisean Nixon had tight coverage, but Moore hauled in the perfect pass from Williams for a walk-off 46-yard touchdown.
The Bears win, 22-16 and have the inside track to the NFC North title after a remarkable, stunning comeback against their bitter rivals. They needed a successful onside kick and a late touchdown to get to overtime. Then they converted on one of the greatest passes in Chicago Bears history from Williams to Moore to secure the win in the extra session.
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Jason Owens
The Bears are now in control.
Malik Willis couldn’t handle the snap on fourth down, and the Packers turn the ball over on downs in Bears territory to start overtime. The next score wins the game, and the Bears have the ball and first down at their own 36-yard line.
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Jason Owens
The Packers will start overtime with the ball first. The Bears won the coin toss and elected to receive.
Remember, as long as there’s time on the clock, the Bears will be guaranteed a possession in overtime, even if the Packers score a touchdown.
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Jason Owens
The Bears followed up one miracle with another.
After recovering a long-shot onside kick, Chicago drove 53 yards in 1:35 for a game-tying touchdown. The score arrived courtesy of a do-or-die fourth-and-goal pass from Caleb Williams under pressure to a wide-open Jahdae Walker in the back of the end zone.
Williams appeared to overthrow Walker, but Walker was able to reach high to bring it down in bounds. And we’re going to overtime tied at 16-16. What a stunner.
The NFC North title could very well come down to this extra session.
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Jason Owens
The Bears needed a miracle and got one. Kicker Cairo Santos — Chicago’s hero of the night so far — successfully converted an onside kick, and the Bears have the ball back with less than 2 minutes remaining.
Romeo Doubs bobbled the recovery for the Packers, and the Bears have new life thanks to their own long-shot recovery.
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Jason Owens
The Bears are still alive thanks to Cairo Santos’ third field goal of the night. Santos was good in the cold and wind again from 43 yards to cut Green Bay’s lead to one possession.
The Packers have a 16-9 lead with 1:59 remaining.
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Jason Owens
The Packers have tacked on a field goal and hold a two-possession lead with 5:03 remaining in regulation against a team that’s yet to score a touchdown tonight.
Malik Willis has now authored three drives into the red zone and a fourth that ended in the end zone in four possessions since taking over for the injured Jordan Love. And the Packers hold a 16-6 lead. It’s been an outstanding night for Green Bay’s backup quarterback with the NFC North title up for grabs.
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Jason Owens
Cairo Santos appears to be the ideal kicker for Soldier Field.
With winds swirling and the temperatures below freezing, Santos just hit a low draw from 51 yards that cut through the win and through the uprights.
This, after he hit an intentional slice for a 46-yard field goal on the other end in the first half. The Bears need to stop settling for field goals. But Santos is delivering when given the opportunity and has cut Green Bay’s lead to 13-6 early in the fourth quarter.
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Jason Owens
Backup quarterbacks matter.
Malik Willis just found Romeo Doubs with a perfect 33-yard pass down the sideline for the first touchdown of the game. He hit this beauty on a cold and windy night in Chicago on third-and-2.
And the Packers extend their lead to 13-3 late in the third quarter.
In three possessions since taking over for an injured Jordan Love (concussion), Willis has led two drives into the red zone and now this third to the end zone. Green Bay couldn’t have asked for more out of Love.
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Jason Owens
The Bears got out of the shadow of their own end zone after forcing the Josh Jacobs fumble, but nothing more. Chicago punted back to Green Bay from its own 21-yard line, and the Packers will once again look to add to their 6-3 lead.
Offense remains at a premium in freezing conditions in Chicago.
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Jason Owens
Malik Willis was this close to leading to scoring drives in two possessions in relief of Jordan Love. But Josh Jacobs fumbled in the red zone thanks to a punch-out by cornerback Nahshon Wright.
And the Bears recovered to take over possession at their own 2-yard line. That’s now four red-zone trips for the Packers that have resulted in 2 field goals, one turnover and a turnover on downs — and zero touchdowns.
Green Bay maintains a 6-3 lead late in the third quarter.
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Jason Owens
Chicago has scored. The Bears drove 38 yards to open the second half and set up Cairo Santos for a winding 46-yard field goal that sliced right to left through the middle of the uprights.
An impressive kick on a cold, windy night in Chicago. The Packers have a 6-3 lead and will take over possession with backup quarterback Malik Willis at quarterback.
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Jason Owens
Jordan Love has been diagnosed with a concussion and won’t play again tonight. It’s a huge blow for the Packers in a game that could determine the NFC North champion.
Malik Willis will finish the game at quarterback for Green Bay. The Packers take a 6-0 lead into the second half.
And if Willis gets hurt? The Packers will be in dire straights. Head coach Matt LeFleur told Fox’s Erin Andrews that running back Josh Jacobs is the emergency third quarterback and would take over if Willis gets injured.
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Jason Owens
Chicago’s still looking for points on a frigid night at home.
The Bears punted from midfield on fourth-and-9 with 51 seconds remaining in the half. Backup up at their own end zone on a night when offense is hard to come by, the Packer were content with a 6-0 lead and knelt out the remainder of the first-half clock.
There’s still no word on Jordan Love, who left the game in the second quarter to be evaluated for a potential concussion.
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Jason Owens
With Jordan Love being evaluated for a potential concussion, backup Malik Willis moved the Packers offense into the red zone.
But as they’ve done on two previous trips to the red zone, they stalled out when they got there. But it’s still better than what the scoreless Bears have managed. Green Bay takes a 6-0 lead with 1:41 remaining in the first half.
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Jason Owens
Jordan Love is being evaluated for a concussion. His return is questionable.
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Jason Owens
Jordan Love just took a big hit on a sack and was slow to get up. He took a shot to the helmet from Austin Booker that drew a roughing the passer flag and remained down on the ground after the hit.
It’s not immediately clear if Love suffered an injury of significance. He eventually jogged to the sideline medical tent, and backup Malik Willis took over at quarterback for the Packers. Love then left the tent and walked to the locker room without his helmet.
It looks like Willis will remain in the game for the remainder of this drive at a minimum.
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Jason Owens
A false start turned a third-and-8 into a third-and-13 for the Bears, and we have our first punt of the game.
Chicago’s still scoreless, and the Packers have the ball back and a 3-0 lead with 9:34 remaining in the second quarter.
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Jason Owens
After three combined drives into the red zone, we finally have a score. But still no touchdown.
The Packers converted a 13-play, 70-yard drive into a 26-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. After failed fourth-and-goal efforts from each team to start the game, the Packers opted for the easy kick and 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.
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Andy Backstrom
Facing a fourth-and-1 near the goal line, Ben Johnson opted for some trickery.
Running back Kyle Monangai was in the backfield, and tight end Cole Kmet was up at the line of scrimmage. While Kmet made a check, the ball was snapped, except it was too high for Monangai.
The rookie hopped on it, but the Bears turned the ball over on downs anyway.
