The Chicago Bears' playoff run came to a gut-wrenching end on Sunday, falling 20-17 in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams in their first divisional round appearance since 2010. It was a hard-fought battle that saw rookie quarterback Caleb Williams push the Bears to the brink of a breakthrough, only to have their postseason dreams dashed in the extra frame.
Williams, who had already delivered a clutch touchdown pass with just 18 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, once again had the ball in his hands with a chance to win it in overtime. On second-and-8, he dropped back and looked for his go-to guy, DJ Moore, downfield. But instead of another heroic moment, the throw ended up in the hands of Rams safety Kam Curl, sealing Chicago’s fate.
The play immediately drew criticism-not for the throw itself, but for Moore’s route. Hall of Famer Terrell Owens didn’t mince words, taking to social media to suggest the interception was more about Moore’s effort than Williams’ decision-making.
Owens wrote, *“That interception was NOT on Caleb!! What in THE HELL was the receiver thinking/doing?!!!”
- It was a sentiment that echoed throughout the fanbase as the Bears’ season came to a sudden halt.
To be fair, Williams and Moore had connected earlier in the game for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, a reminder of the chemistry they’ve built throughout the season. But in overtime, when everything was on the line, the timing just wasn’t there.
After the game, Williams pointed to a breakdown in communication on the decisive play. “I got to go back and watch it,” he said, “but in the moment, I saw the front-side safety down, front-sided concept.
Ended up getting hemmed up a little bit and so moved on and had D.J. Moore going over top over all of it.”
He continued, “Just a miscommunication between him and I. Tried to flatten him off under the safety and he kept it vertical from what I saw in the moment.”
That kind of miscue is tough to swallow, especially considering how composed Williams looked for most of the night. He finished 23-of-42 for 257 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions-his highest single-game interception total of the season. It was a performance that showed both his poise under pressure and the growing pains that come with being a young quarterback in the postseason spotlight.
This wasn’t the ending the Bears-or their fans-had envisioned. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Williams showed flashes of why Chicago believes he’s the future of the franchise.
That fourth-quarter drive to tie the game? That’s the kind of moment that builds a quarterback’s legend.
Unfortunately for the Bears, it just wasn’t enough this time.
There’s no sugarcoating the sting of a playoff exit, especially one that ends on a misread and a missed opportunity. But for a team that hadn’t reached this stage in over a decade, this postseason run-however brief-was a glimpse of what could be coming.
The Bears have a foundation. Now it’s about building on it.