LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Down by 11 and facing a fourth-and-8 in their own territory late in last week’s wild-card game, the Chicago Bears needed a big play from Caleb Williams.
He had a Michael Jordan moment.
Williams’ spectacular throw to Rome Odunze kept a touchdown drive going and helped the Bears rally to beat the Green Bay Packers 31-27 after trailing by 18 on Saturday night. Now, after winning a playoff game for the first time in 15 years, Chicago faces another big challenge.
The Bears host Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round on Sunday. But while they shifted their focus to the next task, Williams’ incredible pass to Odunze in a big spot was still getting plenty of attention.
“It was just a good moment and ended up giving Rome the right football to be able to allow him to make the adjustment,” Williams said Wednesday.
Trailing 27-16, the Bears (12-6) had a fourth-and-8 at their 43 with 5:37 remaining in the game. Williams took the shotgun snap and rolled to his left when the pocket collapsed. He leaped as a defender lunged at his leg and delivered a perfect throw to Odunze in traffic for a 27-yard gain.
The NFL Memes account had some fun on X, plugging in the Chicago Bulls’ intro music and superimposing the famous Jumpman logo over Williams. It was just about a perfect — and almost eerie — match.
“I’ve had a couple passes like that going left where I’ve ended up being in the air in that way a few times in college and things like that and high school,” Williams said. “I’m kind of used to it.”
Chicago isn’t used to being in a spot like this.
The Bears hadn’t advanced in the playoffs since the 2010 team beat Seattle in the divisional round. Chicago then got knocked out by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the NFC championship game and made quick exits in its only two postseason appearances since, with the 2018 and 2020 teams losing wild-card games. But the Bears envisioned moments like this when they drafted Williams with the No. 1 pick in 2024 and hired coach Ben Johnson off Detroit’s staff a year ago.
Chicago captured the NFC North championship and finished with a winning record for the first time since the 2018 team won the division. Williams got more and more comfortable in Johnson’s system and threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards during the regular season. He then passed his first playoff test, setting a club mark by passing for 361 yards while leading the big comeback.
Now, after knocking off the rival Packers, the Bears host Stafford and the Rams. Williams only briefly met Stafford when the two teams played at Soldier Field last season. But he’s studied the three-time Pro Bowler in depth.
It’s something his coach wanted him to do. Johnson was an assistant in Detroit during Stafford’s final few seasons there and saw up close his elite footwork and vision.
“When you talk about the footwork, I think it starts there with him,” Johnson said. “But then as you talk about an experienced player that sees the field really well, he understands defenses. He knows how to manipulate defenses. He’s got a great feel for the game and that translates to everything he does every single week.”
Williams and Stafford don’t exactly have similar styles. But there are things he can learn from the All-Pro.
“His feet are always under him,” Williams said. “He can make any throw at any time. The guy’s in his face, O-linemen may be getting pushed back, not looking — all these different things — and it comes down to his feet. He ties the routes with his receivers — the timing, all of that — with his feet. Obviously, he has a cannon.”
There’s the trust Stafford has in his receivers, that they’ll be in the right place and make the play. Williams trusted Odunze on that fourth-down completion. Five plays later, he threw an 8-yard touchdown to Olamide Zaccheaus and connected with Colston Loveland on a 2-point conversion that pulled Chicago within three.
Williams also mentioned Stafford’s “snake eyes” — his ability to make opponents move by shifting his eyes and then throwing the ball where the defender was.
“He drops back and has what everybody calls snake eyes,” Williams said. “Just knowing defenses, knowing the offense and being able to move people where you want to move them is something he’s been able to do very well.”
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