Heading into wild-card weekend, the Packers were vocal in wanting to face their bitter rival, the Bears. Chicago won the NFC North title to secure the No. 2 playoff seed, while Green Bay narrowly captured the No. 7 spot.
The noise coming from Green Bay’s locker room reached Chicago, and the Bears were ready to prove their rival wrong. And that’s exactly what they did on Saturday night.
The Bears trailed as much as 21–6 to the Packers early in the game, but eventually came back to win 31–27 in a down-to-the-wire thriller. That’s one way to silence your opponent.
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams addressed the Packers’ previous comments in his post-game press conference with a simple yet iconic response.
“They wanted us, what I heard. They wanted it, they got it,” Williams said.
Caleb Williams' response to the Packers wanting to play the Bears 👀 pic.twitter.com/S3nwvfR7Sx
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 11, 2026
Bears coach Ben Johnson also responded to the chatter coming from Green Bay. He emphasized how special the win was to the Bears because of how confident the Packers felt about beating them.
“There was probably a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north to start the week— which we heard loud and clear—players and coaches alike,” Johnson said. “So this one meant something to us.”
“There was probably a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north to start the week - which we heard loud and clear -players and coaches alike. So this one meant something to us.”
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 11, 2026
- Ben Johnson on showing more emotion than usual after the game pic.twitter.com/igoXBoFoWC
The Bears will go on to play either the Eagles or the Rams, depending on who wins the Eagles–49ers game on Sunday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson Emphasize Why Bears' Win Over Packers Was So Special.
