Bears Rewrite History With Unbelievable 31-27 Playoff Win Over The Packers

GOOD MORNING, CHICAGO FANS

History. Was. Made.

In a single night, the Bears beat the Packers in the playoffs, the Cubs signed Alex Bregman, and the Bulls and Blackhawks each won a game. Just one night!

The Bears magic lives on!

CHICAGO BEARS

PLAYOFFS - WILD CARD ROUND

W - BEARS 31 PACKERS 27

REWRITE THE HISTORY BOOKS

15 years.

That’s how long we waited to see a Bears playoff win. Caleb Williams always talks about his desire to rewrite history in Chicago - to turn the franchise into a winner, to stay here for years next to Ben Johnson, and to compete for championships. On another Saturday night at Soldier Field, the Ice Man began his journey for history.

The Bears had numerous pathetic first halves this season, but in the playoffs, this one felt astronomically worse. They were turning the ball over on downs, slipping on routes, blowing coverages, and Jordan Love was marching down the field at will. A 21-3 deficit was meaningless, but it looked egregious.

The 4th quarter Bears were inevitable, just as I told everyone in the room while watching the game. But this time, they morphed into the 2nd half Bears. If not for a spirited effort from the defense after halftime, they would have been dead and buried. They only allowed 9 net yards on the Packers’ first four possessions, including three 3-and-outs.

Once the clock ticked over to the 4th, Caleb Williams took over. With a bum ankle, he led 3 straight touchdown drives to turn a 21-6 game into a 31-27 lead. He blocked on a D’Andre Swift improvisation run, made a miraculous 4th and 8 throw to Rome Odunze, hit a few key checkdowns, and rifled in the game-winner to DJ Moore.

Soldier Field probably caused an earthquake across Illinois. Now the rest of the NFL has to watch out. The new Bears have officially arrived!

Standouts:

• Caleb Williams (24/48, 361 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) overcame 2 4th down interceptions to lead the way down the stretch

• Colston Loveland had 8 receptions for 137 yards on 15 targets

• Austin Booker and Montez Sweat (5 combined QB hits) agonized Jordan Love in the 2nd half

• Tyrique Stevenson and Elijah Hicks forced fumbles that the Bears narrowly missed out on recovering

Quick Hits:

• The good Jordan Love showed up (24/46, 323 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT), but he threw in the towel in clutch time. He took delays, fumbled a snap, nearly turned it over twice, and couldn’t make the winning play at the end.

• Romeo Doubs (8 rec, 124 yards, 1 TD) made a sick one-handed catch and tore up the Bears secondary

• Shoutout to Brandon McManus! The Packers kicker missed 2 field goals and an extra point!

• Bears held Josh Jacobs to 2.9 yards/carry (19 carries, 55 yards)

• Bears run game could not get going (3.3 yards/carry)

• Penalties were ALL Packers (7 for 65 yards) as the Bears (2 for 5 yards) remained the more disciplined team

• Red zone defense roller-coaster continued: Packers were 3-for-3 (Bears for 2-for-5!)

• TJ Edwards and Ozzy Trapilo suffered severe injuries and will miss the remainder of the playoffs

STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐ Colston Loveland

8 rec, 137 yards, 15 targets, 2-point conversion

PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥 Caleb Williams 4th down throw to Rome Odunze

All-Pro Selections: Joe Thuney and Kevin Byard (1st team), Darnell Wright (2nd team)

Assistant GM Ian Cunningham interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons for the President of Football Operations role, but they hired Matt Ryan. He is still in the running for General Manager.

Former head coach Matt Eberflus was fired as Defensive Coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys after 1 season

Ben Johnson’s OC replacement in Detroit, John Morton, was fired after 1 season. He left the building, and the organization started to crumble!

Cole Kmet GETS IT, Chicago:

Bears vs. Rams (Divisional Round)

This matchup has great storylines! Caleb Williams vs. (one of his favorite quarterbacks of all-time) Matthew Stafford, Ben Johnson vs. Sean McVay, Jonah Jackson revenge game, Davante Adams back again facing the Bears

Last matchup? 24-18 Bears at Soldier Field in 2024

Last playoff matchup? 24-0 Bears at Soldier Field in the 1986 NFC Championship Game 👀

Winner will play? 49ers or Seahawks

SCHEDULE 📅 SUNDAY vs. Rams

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

W - BLACKHAWKS 7 BLUES 3

THE GRIDIRON BLUES

• 7 different Blackhawks scored a goal against an overmatched Jordan Binnington

• Hawks allowed a goal 27 seconds into the game, had to kill 3 penalties in the 1st period, and then hit the gas in the 2nd

• Blues tried to pull Binnington after the 7th goal but somehow couldn’t find backup goalie Joel Hofer

L - CAPITALS 5 BLACKHAWKS 1

AN ILL-FATED RETURN

• Connor Bedard returned from injury to a sickness-riddled team starting Drew Commesso between the pipes

• Winning streak ended at 4 despite a decent shorthanded effort and each team finishing with 24 shots on goal

• Oliver Moore scored a power play goal in his 2nd straight game

W - BLACKHAWKS 3 PREDATORS 0

COMMESSO NO-NO

• Commesso bounced back from his rough outing to save 37 shots and earn his first career win and shutout

• Bedard had 2 assists, and he’s showing chemistry with Nick Lardis who scored again

STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐ Nick Lardis

2 goals and 1 assist (3 points) on 6 shots

PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥 Oliver Moore goal

🚨 Traded Laurent Brossoit, Nolan Allan and a 2028 7th Round Pick to the San Jose Sharks for Ryan Ellis, Jake Furlong and a 2028 4th Round Pick 🚨

Brossoit was on the trade block as soon as he returned from injury. The 2024 free agent never played for the Blackhawks and was reportedly going to have a market with so many teams looking for goalies.

The return seems underwhelming IF anyone actually believed in Brossoit returning to form after such a long hiatus. Nolan Allan was a promising young defenseman who played in 43 games last season but has taken a step back. He didn’t have a future with the Hawks thanks to their loaded blue line, so he was essentially swapped for another AHL defenseman, Jake Furlong.

What did the Hawks gain in this deal? An expensive contract and draft capital. Ellis hasn’t played since 2021 because of serious injuries, so his $6.25M cap hit has been a burden to carry on any team’s books. The Hawks benefit greatly because they have to make it to the salary cap floor next season without giving out albatross contracts to veterans who have no place in Chicago in the future.

Purely taking on large contracts used to provide a ton of value, but in the rising cap era of the NHL, they’re less of an issue to hang on to. It’s too bad the Hawks had to give up what they did just to move up a few rounds and help their cap situation next year. All in all, I’m fine with this. Say goodbye to another Stan Bowman 1st round draft pick (Allan in 2021) and say hello to another exciting young group in 2026-2027!

Anton Frondell won a gold medal at World Juniors with Team Sweden! He was named best forward in the entire tournament with 5 goals and 3 assists (8 points). Vaclav Nestrasil won a silver medal and also had 8 points!

Patrick Kane scored his 500th career goal!

Goalie Adam Gajan will be on a Team Slovakia at the 2026 Olympics!

Assigned Ethan Del Mastro to the AHL

Blackhawks legend, goalie Glenn Hall, passed away at the age of 94

SCHEDULE 📅 M/TH/SAT

CHICAGO BULLS

L - CELTICS 115 BULLS 101

FALSE START

• Bulls had their lowest scoring 1st quarter (14 points) and 1st half (33 points) of the season

• Matas Buzelis stayed hot, scoring 26 points on 9/12 FG and 3/4 3PT

• Coby White returned from injury a bit earlier than expected and only scored 5 points on 2/7 FG in 25 minutes off the bench

L - PISTONS 108 BULLS 93

NO CADE NO GAIN

• The Cade Cunningham-less Pistons dominated the 4th quarter (32-16) to break the game open

• Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls with 24 points off the bench

• 17 turnovers killed the Bulls in an otherwise even performance

POSTPONED - BULLS VS. HEAT

The United Center court was unplayable due to condensation! That isn’t something you see every day for an indoor stadium. Players complained about a slippery surface during warmups, and a long delay turned into a postponement. The warmer weather and humidity affected the ice below the floor!

W - BULLS 125 MAVERICKS 107

HANG EM OUT TO DRY

• 7 Bulls scored in double figures as the offense finally came to life

• Bulls comfortably won the rebounding (52-42) and points in the paint battles (68-44)

• Coby and Ayo combined for 42 points on 16/24 FG shooting

STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐ Ayo Dosunmu

19.6p/5.3a per game, 4 steals, 10/17 (58.8%) 3PT

PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥 Matas Buzelis block and 3PT

Signed Yuki Kawamura to a two-way contract! The Summer League phenom is back after rehabbing from injury! All I want is a sweet assist highlight at the United Center. Released Trentyn Flowers to open up a roster spot.

SCHEDULE 📅 T/W/F/SUN

CHICAGO CUBS

OFFSEASON

🚨 Signed 3B Alex Bregman to a 5-year, $175M contract 🚨

One year ago, Jed Hoyer obtained special permission from ownership to offer a 4-year, $115M contract to Bregman. It wasn’t the best offer on the table, and they ended up not even spending up to the luxury tax threshold.

With approximately $32M to spare beneath the threshold this winter, and after seeing Matt Shaw develop into a dependable player with Gold Glove caliber defense and improving production at the plate, the Cubs made an aggressive move.

This signing makes the Cubs better and signals their willingness to spend more money than anticipated. For that, I’m excited. Bregman can slot in towards the top of the lineup, play very good defense at third, and be a leader in the clubhouse.

On the other hand, I don’t believe he’s a superstar. If they’re going to start handing out big contracts, I would have preferred bringing back Kyle Tucker or pursuing some of the other stars who have recently reached the free agent market. This contract will see Bregman into his age-37 year, blocks Shaw from 3rd, and although it improves the Cubs lineup, does not provide the all-world slugger the lineup needed.

There are rumors of a possible Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw trade now that Bregman has arrived. Do they use Shaw in a utility role? Are they even planning to re-sign Nico when his contract expires next winter? Do they want to give all 3 consistent at-bats this year and then figure it out? We’ll see how this all plays out. But for today, and for the historic night when the signing was announced DURING the Bears/Packers game, let’s be excited that the Cubs brought a very good player to Chicago.

🚨 Acquired RHP Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins for OF Owen Caissie, INF Cristian Hernandez, and INF Edgardo De Leon 🚨

After shutting down a trade with the Marlins for starter Jesus Luzardo last winter, pursuing Cabrera at the trade deadline in July, and being connected to a multitude of starting pitching options over the last few months, the Cubs made their big move.

Cabrera is an electric starter with unlimited potential. He can touch 100, throws 95 mph changeups (how), and has nasty breaking pitches. They’re making a sizeable bet on a pitcher who just had his best season with career marks in innings (137.2), BB/9 (3.14), and FIP (3.83).

He has dealt with arm injuries over the years and has never fully put it all together. So why take a bet? He can clearly be a top of the line starter if he stays healthy, and he’s under team control for THREE more seasons. This is the type of starter the Cubs needed to add velocity and transition them into the next core of a rotation after 2026. Horton/Steele/Cabrera/Boyd/Taillon/Shota is a great Top 6 once Steele returns!

Losing Caissie (Cubs #1 prospect, #47 in MLB) is tough. He was the prize of the infamous 2020 Yu Darvish trade when the Cubs had to cut payroll. With Kyle Tucker most likely leaving in free agency and Ian Happ’s contract expiring after this season, it seemed like Caissie was in line for a starting gig sooner rather than later. His lefty power is enticing!

Hernandez was a top prospect when he signed out of the Dominican Republic, but he has not lived up to the hype in the minors. De Leon is an 18-year old with some offensive upside.

Agreed to contracts with Justin Steele ($6.775M), Edward Cabrera ($4.45M), and Javier Assad ($1.4M) to avoid arbitration

Jameson Taillon will pitch for Team Canada in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

Claimed LHP Ryan Rolison off of waivers from the White Sox

Signed RHP Jeff Brigham to a minor league contract

SAY WHAT?

A CITYWIDE SALUTE

Caleb Williams

The Bears are different now.

Their quarterback was tearing up in the locker room talking about his head coach. We actually have an elite QB and coach combination here in Chicago! It’s unfathomable! I was impressed by Caleb Williams’ vulnerability and intentionality to honor Ben Johnson in the locker room:

MILD TAKE

Kyle Tucker should have been the big free agent “splash”.

As I wrote above, Alex Bregman is a good addition for the Cubs. He improves the lineup and provides more steadiness that was missing last season.

I’m also one of the few Cubs fans who never got off the Kyle Tucker train. I understand he struggled at the end of the year, his demeanor oddly became a negative point of conversation, and even his desire to play in a big city started to be questioned.

As recent as May, people were talking about giving him a blank check and building his statue outside of Wrigley Field.

When he is healthy, Kyle Tucker is a Top 10 hitter in baseball. His fielding ability is fine, and his baseball IQ is through the roof. He’s a sneaky good baserunner and reliable teammate. He’s the top of the order lefty that no pitcher wants to face. His strikeout to walk ratio is nearly 1:1 every season!

Set aside his struggles to end last season. The Cubs should have been willing to offer him a long-term contract the second they acquired him a year ago. They should still be talking to his agent. If the Cubs are actually willing to spend money now, they should spend on an elite hitter who completely changes the lineup. Bregman can make up some of his production, but they’re still taking a step back overall if they don’t make any other moves.

Tucker will probably sign with a New York or LA team when he belongs in right field at Wrigley.

HITTING THE LINKS

Ben Pope - How Wyatt Kaiser's versatility boosts Artyom Levshunov's success for the Blackhawks (Chicago Sun-Times)

Kevin Fishbain - Bears swung big to improve their O-line. Here’s how the additions have paid off (The Athletic)

Scott Powers - What Blackhawks’ latest trade tells us about their 2026-27 NHL roster structure (The Athletic)

Chicago Bears - Bears' road to playoffs and NFC North crown | 1920 Football Drive (YouTube)

TWO MINUTE WARNING

Thanks for reading! The magical Bears run continues!