Caleb Williams made the best throw of his life. Then he threw the Bears’ season away.
In the wild-card round, it was a layered throw while rolling out to his left on fourth and 8.
On Sunday, it was a fadeaway 50-yard heave on fourth and 4 from the 14-yard line.
Only this time, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears couldn’t complete the comeback.
The Bears lost 20-17 in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams in Chicago in the final game of the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday, sending the Rams to the NFC championship game while Chicago’s Cinderella run has come to an end.
“There’s no style points,” Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay said postgame. “It’s about being able to survive and advance. And we were able to do that in a tough, hostile environment and it was cold as s— today.”
Entering the game, the Bears had seven fourth-quarter comebacks between the regular season and the playoffs and looked to be on their way to their eighth after an incredible play by Williams late in the fourth quarter.
With the Bears trailing 17-10, Williams led Chicago into the red zone with under a minute left in regulation. Then, on fourth down, he drifted back from Los Angeles’ 14-yard line to all the way near the 40 before he uncorked a perfect touchdown pass to Cole Kmet in the back of the end zone, tying the game and improbably keeping the Bears’ season alive.
“Ridiculous, that’s ridiculous,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said of the throw, adding that it was “even another level ahead” of the throw that Williams made a week ago against the Green Bay Packers.
“There’s some things you just can’t coach.”
In overtime, however, after a defensive stop, Williams led Chicago back into Rams territory only to be intercepted by Kam Curl on a deep shot intended for D.J. Moore. Williams said the interception was the result of a miscommunication between him and his receiver.
“What a freakin’ play by Kam Curl,” McVay said.
The Bears would never see the ball again, as Matthew Stafford led Los Angeles down the field for a game-winning field goal by Harrison Mevis.
The overtime interception was a fitting end for what was ultimately a boom-or-bust performance by Williams, the second-year player with prodigious talent, a flair for the dramatic and frustrating inconsistencies.
Williams finished the game 23-of-42 for 257 yards, two touchdowns, the shocking fourth-down throw and also three interceptions. Two of his picks came in Rams territory, robbing Chicago of scoring opportunities.
Outside of the miracle heave to Kmet, Williams also had issues on fourth down. The Bears finished the game only 3-of-6 on fourth-down attempts: a failed run, an interception from the 21-yard line on the first drive of the game and an incompletion in the end zone on fourth and goal from the 2.
Had Williams been able to convert on money downs earlier in the game, his late heroics might have never been needed.
“I know he’s feeling it because we didn’t win, had some turnovers mixed in there,” Johnson said of his quarterback. “He’s one of those guys I’m talking about who’ll remember this feeling.”
Said Williams: “It’s tough. In these moments you feel you let your team down.”
Chicago’s lack of execution opened the door for a Los Angeles team that was outplayed most of the night. The Bears outgained the Rams, averaged more yards per play, rushed for more yards per carry and had the edge in time of possession. But the failed fourth-down plays and the turnovers ultimately gave Stafford — an MVP candidate — too many chances.
On Los Angeles’ game-winning drive, Stafford completed passes of 15, 12 and 16 yards. The 12-yard completion was to Davante Adams on an incredibly tight throw to the sideline that put the Rams in opponent territory. The 16-yarder came on third and 6 in the face of a blitz and put Los Angeles in field goal range.
The Rams will travel to play their NFC West rival the Seattle Seahawks for the right to go to the Super Bowl. Los Angeles and the Seahawks split their season series, with each team winning at home. The combined margin of victory in the games was only three points.
