Chicago Bears stun Green Bay Packers 31-27 in historic playoff comeback, ending 83-year drought in NFL’s oldest rivalry with dramatic fourth-quarter rally at Soldier Field.<\/b>
\nThe Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers in a playoff game for the first time since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president.
Chicago overcame a late 18-point deficit to stun their rival in the Wild Card playoff game at Soldier Field on Saturday. It marked the Bears’ first postseason victory in the NFL’s oldest rivalry since December 1941, just days after the infamous Pearl Harbor attack.
For most of the night, it looked like Chicago would extend the drought, falling behind 21-3 at halftime.
Even after clawing back, the Bears were facing a 27-16 deficit with less than seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
But Bears quarterback Caleb Williams led back-to-back touchdown drives, with a missed Green Bay field goal in between those drives to give Chicago a late lead.
The Packers and quarterback Jordan Love had a chance to come back with a late drive in the fourth quarter, and nearly reached the brink of Chicago’s red zone.
But the Bears’ defense held, and forced an incompletion on Love’s final pass of the night, clinching a 31-27 win.
It marked Chicago’s first playoff win since the 2010 divisional round against the Seahawks, which was followed by an NFC Championship game loss to the Packers the very next week.
Now, Chicago is on to the divisional round again in the first year under head coach Ben Johnson.
Johnson has led one of the NFL’s most dramatic turnarounds this year, ending the Bears’ four-year streak of losing records and cementing them as one of the NFC’s top contenders.
Meanwhile, the Packers will head into the offseason with disappointment and uncertainty after falling short of expectations in a season of pricey acquisitions.<\/p>\n