Chicago, IL (AP) – Caleb Williams was frustrated.
Coach Ben Johnson was, too.
The Chicago Bears finished the regular season with a whimper rather than a roar. But with the team set to make its first playoff appearance since 2020, it’s time to put that in the past.
“We’ll make our corrections and we’ll quickly turn the page,” Johnson said on Monday. “We don’t have to sulk on what happened yesterday and they understand that. We talked about that at the end of the game. I think we’re going to be good turning the page, but the things that need to get cleaned up, we’re going to clean up.”
The Bears (11-6) closed the regular season with back-to-back losses after falling to Detroit 19-16 on a last-second field goal. The NFC North champions still secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC with Philadelphia losing to Washington and will host Green Bay in the wild-card round on Saturday, a rare playoff game in the NFL’s longest-running rivalry.
The Bears and Packers played two down-to-the-wire games in December, with the home team winning each time.
Against Detroit, Chicago hardly resembled the team that went from finishing last in the division a year ago to winning it in Johnson’s first season. The Bears were shut out for three quarters and matched a season low by scoring 16 points after putting up their second-highest total in a 42-38 loss at San Francisco.
The bend-but-don’t break defense gave up 433 yards after the 49ers went off for 496. That unit finished 29th in the league at 361.8 yards per game.
Detroit never went three-and-out and all but one of its nine possessions ended in Bears territory. The Lions scored on four of their first six drives and might have broken the game open in the early going had they not settled for field goals on three of them. They also had a missed field goal in that span.
It all added up to a frustrating day for the Bears.
What’s working
Based on the game alone, it’s hard to put anything in this category. But for the season, it’s hard to ignore the jump the Bears’ offense made in Johnson’s first season. Chicago went from last in the league in yards per game a year ago to sixth, and from tying for 28th in scoring to ninth.
What needs help
The Bears had little working for them for three quarters. And even after they got going in the fourth, erasing a 16-0 deficit, they still came up short in the end.
With the game tied and just over two minutes remaining, Kevin Byard made a big play when he picked off a pass at the Chicago 5 for his league-leading seventh interception. The Bears took over at their 26 and immediately went three-and-out. The defense then allowed Detroit to drive to the 24 before Jake Bates kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired.
Stock up
TE Colston Loveland. The first-round pick from Michigan finished as the Bears’ leading receiver, with team highs in receptions (58) and yards (713). He also tied DJ Moore and Rome Odunze for the team lead with six touchdown catches, and he’s peaking in time for the playoffs.
Loveland is coming off two of his best games. He had 10 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown against Detroit after catching six passes for 94 yards and a score against San Francisco.
Stock down
Moore. Moore has gone from a starring role against Green Bay in Week 16 to being a nonfactor the past two games, with a combined two receptions for 18 yards. He was targeted three times against Detroit and had one 11-yard reception, after catching one 7-yard pass against San Francisco. Moore came up huge against the Packers in Week 16 with five receptions for 97 yards, including a spectacular 46-yard TD catch in tight coverage for the overtime win.
Injuries
Johnson said the Bears hope to have slot CB Kyler Gordon (groin) return to practice this week. They could use him with S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (concussion) after getting hurt on the final drive against Detroit. Gordon has been limited to three games this season and hasn’t played since Week 13. … Odunze (foot) missed the final five regular-season games.
Key number
2 — The Bears ended the regular season the way they opened it — with two straight losses — and wound up with the No. 2 seed.
Next steps
Chicago and Green Bay are meeting for the third time in the postseason. The Packers beat the Bears in the NFC championship game at Soldier Field at the end of the 2010 season on the way to winning the Super Bowl. Chicago beat Green Bay in the 1941 playoffs en route to the championship.
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