The Chicago Bears looked finished at halftime of their Wild Card matchup against the Green Bay Packers, trailing 21–3 as Jordan Love picked apart their defense and Caleb Williams struggled through one of the worst halves of his career.
But what followed was a stunning turnaround, with the Bears drawing inspiration from the New England Patriots’ iconic 28–3 comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Ben Johnson Invoked Patriots’ 28–3 Comeback at Halftime
It was looking far from pretty for the Bears early in the game on Saturday night. Love threw three touchdown passes in the first half, while Williams struggled badly, throwing two interceptions, hovering around a 50% completion rate, and watching Chicago come away with just three points despite multiple red-zone trips.
Even with home-field advantage, it appeared postseason nerves had gotten the best of the former No. 1 overall pick. However, Williams quickly proved that he had both the talent and the mental toughness to turn the script around.
A stunning fourth quarter, highlighted by two Williams touchdown passes in the final five minutes, powered a 25-point outburst and completed a dramatic rally from a 21–3 deficit, lifting the Bears to a 31–27 victory.
While Williams deserves plenty of credit, head coach Ben Johnson’s leadership played a pivotal role. Speaking postgame, Johnson revealed that the team drew inspiration from the Patriots’ historic 28–3 Super Bowl comeback against the Falcons.
“One thing we did during training camp was show the film of the Atlanta–New England game,” Johnson said. “We had two players on the roster who were part of those team, Grady (Jarrett) with Atlanta and Joe Thuney with New England, and it was great getting perspective from both of them on how that game unfolded. I think it’s a good lesson that even when it’s 28–3 in the middle of the third quarter, the game is still being played and there’s a lot of time left.”
Johnson said that the message resonated at halftime.
“That was my message to the group, reminding them this has been done before, and that this was a great opportunity to turn it around into a game we’d never forget. And that’s exactly what they did.”
#Bears HC Ben Johnson says they showed the Falcons/Patriots 28–3 Super Bowl game to the team in camp as a lesson that a game is never over.
They had Joe Thuney (who was with New England) and Grady Jarrett (who was with Atlanta) speak to the team about their experiences.
That… pic.twitter.com/GASGZzF1sC
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 11, 2026
The Patriots famously erased a 25-point deficit in the Super Bowl in 2017, with Tom Brady leading New England to a 34–28 overtime victory, widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history. That resilient mindset has been evident throughout the Bears’ season.
Chicago has repeatedly shown an ability to respond to adversity, and on Sunday night, it finally paid off. Williams, ranked 20th in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, finished with 361 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in a performance defined by poise when it mattered most.
The Bears will now host either the Los Angeles Rams or the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round, and coming off such an emphatic comeback, they’ve shown they’re more than capable of beating either opponent.
