Jan. 13, 2026, 4:04 a.m. PT

The Cardiac Bears showed that the regular season was no fluke. They can do it in the playoffs, too. Caleb Williams and the Bears delivered one of the best Bears playoff wins in franchise history, and the first playoff win since 2011.

Here are my takeaways from another thrilling Bears win over the Green Bay Packers:

Are Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams trending in the direction of owning the Packers?

Since Caleb Williams has been in Chicago, he has gone 3-2 versus the Packers. In every game he has played, it has been a thrilling Bears vs Packers match. His two games last season versus the Packers both ended by a field goal. The first one was a blocked field goal after Caleb Williams drove the Bears down the field. In the next game, Caleb Williams set up another game-winning drive. This time around, Cairo made it, and the Bears won at Lambeau Field. This year, Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, after a loss by one play, went on to beat the Packers twice in drastic fashion. Caleb Williams threw the game-winning touchdown in overtime to D.J. Moore. Caleb Williams, then, in the playoffs against Green Bay, sent them packing with a 25-point fourth quarter and overcame an 18-point deficit. For the first time, not only do the Bears have a chance every time they face off against the Packers, but they have a coach and quarterback who play at their best against the Packers. Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams do not shrivel up in these games. Caleb Williams looked like what Aaron Rodgers was to the Bears, now against the Packers. It has been a special turnaround in just two seasons. The Bears have to be extremely confident that they have now turned this rivalry all the way around. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson have made this rivalry exactly what it should be, and they now look like they are trying to become owners of the Packers instead of the other way around.

Caleb Williams is elite in the 4th quarter in the playoffs too

It is one thing to be elite and have game-winning drives during the regular season, but to carry that into the playoffs against your biggest rival, you are a different type of clutch. Jordan Love threw 4 passing touchdowns and made no mistakes in this game, but the Bears won this football game because they had the better quarterback. Caleb threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the 4th quarter alone. He led the Bears to 25 points in the 4th quarter as well. It was a sports-movie-level performance down the stretch. Caleb Williams saved his best heroics for the biggest game of his career. Not many quarterbacks can do that; in fact, maybe just the elite quarterbacks that are known as the big 4. No more room for doubt, Caleb Williams is the guy.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.There is no team better than the Bears at second half adjustments

From both the offensive side of the ball to the defensive side of the ball their is no team that is better than the Bears. There have been many instances where Ben Johnson is out coaching the other coaching staff in the second half and, most importantly, the 4th quarter. Matt Lafleur called a great game in the first half, and the Packers were clicking on all cylinders, resulting in them being up 21-3. In the second half, it was a completely different story, and both Dennis Allen and Ben Johnson got the best out of Lafleur.

The Bears defense looked like the USC Trojans in the second half

Just like the USC Trojans all college football season long, completely changing their defense in the second half and giving up essentially nothing to their opponent, the Bears did the same exact thing. The Bears’ defense looked like it was going to be another day where they were not going to be able to get a stop in the 1st half. In the second half, they registered 4 straight 3 and outs and were the more impressive unit in this game. If they do not get those stops, the Bears do not win this football game. Losing T.J. Edwards in the first half to a gruesome injury, it would have been understandable for this defense to throw in the towel, losing their quarterback of the defense. Instead, they did the opposite. They got pressure on the quarterback with blitzes, and Montez Sweat and Austin Booker both were consistently in the backfield. Kyler Gordon was not 100 percent, but when he was on the field, he made a difference. This was a game that gave great confidence that the Bears’ defense can step up and be good enough to go on a deep playoff run.

To Beat the Bears you have to be perfect in the 4th quarter, many teams can’t do that

It seems like the only way teams can beat the Bears is if they are perfect in the 4th quarter. You cannot give this team any bit of confidence by making mental mistakes and giving the ball into their hands. No lead feels safe with the Chicago Bears, no matter how much time is left. There is a sense of belief, and there is just a confidence that they can achieve the impossible. That makes them a very dangerous team. In some of these late-game heroic wins, it feels exactly like the Bears are achieving the impossible every time. You cannot take your foot off the pedal, and you cannot make mental mistakes. Game after game, that is exactly what costs teams that face the Bears. It will be interesting to see whether or not an experienced and well-coached football team like the Rams is the Cardiac Bears’ next victim.