Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears pulled off one of the biggest fourth-quarter playoff comebacks we’ve seen in a while, sending the Green Bay Packers packing on Wild Card Weekend. The Bears were slow coming out of the gates and never really picked up the pace for three quarters.
What did Jason and Travis Kelce think about the turnaround?
Jason and Travis Kelce Believe Bears QB Caleb Williams Showed 2 Personalities vs. Packers
Chicago was a misfiring disaster for most of the game, as Williams threw two picks and missed on a lot of his passes. Green Bay held them out of the end zone for more than 45 minutes, with head coach Ben Johnson’s men mounting nothing more than two field goals across three quarters.
However, something flipped in Williams in the final period, as he bagged two touchdown passes late in the fourth to send them into the lead. At the final whistle, he had thrown for 361 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, completing 50% of his passes for a 79.15 QBR.
“The Bears have been doing what the Bears have been doing — those fourth-quarter surges,” Travis said on the ‘New Heights’ podcast. “And we were talking with Jameis [Winston] in this episode — some quarterbacks just have that ability to flip that switch, and they get into that mode of, ‘I don’t have to think about this. This is do-or-die. I have to throw this ball. I have to make this play.’ And Caleb Williams came up f*** huge. He gave us some highlights we’ll remember forever.”
Jason chimed in with his “Jekyll and Hyde” analogy, comparing the quarterback to the famous character with a split personality. While Williams was a tame opponent for thre quarters against the Packers, he unleashed fire in the fourth, as the Bears hung 25 points on the visitors.
“We should rename him Mr. Williams/Dr. Caleb,” the former Philadelphia Eagles center said. “What he was in the first half and what he was at certain times when it feels like it should be easier, and then all of a sudden, at the end of games, when it has to happen, he makes some of the most insane throws I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Williams has shown flashes of a trait that is commonly associated with the legendary Tom Brady: an ability to come back late in games. Brady became famous early in his career as the Comeback Kid, and he maintained the reputation for most of his 23-year career. His 25-point comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI stands as a testament to his ‘never quit’ mentality, which Williams seems to share.
“It’s like he feels it out, feels it out,” Travis summarized. “And then the fourth quarter comes, and he’s like, ‘Alright, I know what’s going on now.’ And he just shows up.”
How the quarterback’s strong mentality holds up remains to be seen. The Bears will take on a red-hot LA Rams team next in the Divisional Round.
