Caleb Williams' 4th-down INT seals Bears loss as Packers take over 1st place

Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune on Dec 7, 2025

Published in Football

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GREEN BAY, Wis. — The game was on the line. The Chicago Bears faced fourth-and-inches from the Green Bay Packers 14-yard line inside the final minute. Trailing by seven points, they needed a first down or the game was over.

Caleb Williams faked a handoff and rolled out to his left. Tight end Cole Kmet had a man beat in the end zone and Williams lofted a pass to him. But the pass was short of its target, and Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon came down with an interception that essentially ended the game.

Josh Jacobs’ 2-yard touchdown run a few minutes earlier proved to be the winning score as the Packers beat the Bears 28-21 Sunday at Lambeau Field.

It was the 211th meeting in the storied Bears-Packers rivalry, and first place in the NFC North was on the line. With the win, the Packers move into first at 9-3-1. The Bears fall to 9-4 with the 8-5 Detroit Lions lurking behind them. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Bears.

A pair of quick strikes helped the Packers build a lead. Just before halftime, quarterback Jordan Love connected with wide receiver Bo Melton for a 45-yard touchdown on a deep ball that Love lofted perfectly to his target.

In the third quarter, Love zipped a short pass to Christian Watson on a slant route, and Watson beat everybody to the end zone for a 41-yard score.

Williams threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colston Loveland to tie the score at 21 with just over eight minutes remaining. It came on third-and-goal from the 1, with Williams faking a handoff and then rolling out to his right and lofting the ball to a wide-open Loveland.

But Love led the Packers 65 yards in eight plays on the ensuing possession, capped by Jacobs’ touchdown run.

The Bears offense struggled overall in the first half, but the rushing attack woke up after halftime. D’Andre Swift led the team with 63 yards on 13 carries, while Kyle Monangai finished with 57 yards on 14 carries.

Williams was 19-of-35 passing for 186 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. In addition to his touchdown pass to Loveland, he also connected with wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus for a score on a day when top target Rome Odunze was sidelined by a foot injury.

Love completed 17 of 25 passes for 234 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s first-quarter interception proved to be the only takeaway for a Bears defense that came into the week leading the NFL in that category.

The Bears remain firmly in playoff position, but the path is tricky. They play host to the Cleveland Browns next week, then the Packers again in two weeks, before tough matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and the Lions to close out the regular season.

The division title, however, is not out of the question. The Packers have tough games remaining too. If the Bears want any hope of winning the NFC North for the first time since 2018, they likely need to beat the Packers when they meet again Dec. 20 at Soldier Field.

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