With just 1:36 on the clock at Soldier Field late Saturday night, Caleb Williams, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, Olamide Zaccheaus and Kyle Monangai watched from the sideline near midfield as the Bears defense took the field.

The group of Bears offensive weapons had grown accustomed to owning the final possession in several inexplicable comeback wins during the regular season. Just three weeks prior, Williams threw touchdown passes against the Packers, one to tie the game late in the fourth quarter and one to win it in overtime.

Once again matched up with their NFC North rivals in the franchise's first home playoff game since 2018, the offense had done its part by scoring two touchdowns in under three minutes to give the Bears a 31-27 lead, their first lead since going up 3-0 on Cairo Santos' 27-yard field goal to cap their opening drive. All they could do now was join the 60,000-plus fans at Soldier Field in being bystanders to their fate.

"We were all standing together just watching, knowing that they'd get it done," Monangai said. "We were watching like the fans were watching."

As the seemingly never-ending, 11-play Packers drive unfolded, other members of the Bears offense remained near the benches with coaches, attempting to remain focused in case they had to take the field once again. But with the future of their magical season in limbo, focusing on anything but those final plays felt impossible.

"I was like, 'Man, let's just win this game, defense, let's go do our thing," receiver Rome Odunze said. "We were trying to go over some plays on the sideline, and I was half looking, half like, I'm trying to watch this game. I turned into a fan at that point."

Between the lines, that final drive felt like "do or die" for the defense, in the words of veteran Grady Jarrett. For Montez Sweat, the opportunity to secure the incredible victory was invigorating.

"We understood what was at stake," Sweat said. "We just had to end the game."

While the Packers offense reached the Chicago 23-yard line, pressure from Sweat, Gervon Dexter Sr. and the relentless noise of the home crowd closed in on Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love in the final 20 seconds of regulation. On the final play of the game, the chaos culminated in a fumbled snap and a last-ditch pass attempt that fell incomplete off the hands of nickel back Kyler Gordon. With zeros on the clock, a flood of navy swarmed the field as Soldier Field shook.

"I ran onto the field and just felt relief," Odunze said. "Like, 'Wow, we really did it.' Definitely a win that will go down in history, and we're not done."

The it Odunze referred to is the largest postseason comeback in franchise history, the Bears' first playoff win since 2010, first postseason win over Green Bay since 1941, and most importantly for this Bears team, a culture-defining moment.

"It felt great to have my first playoff win with these guys," Williams said. "It felt great being able to fight the way we did and come out victorious."

The Bears' wild card win wasn't the result of one specific play or player, but rather the team regrouping at halftime while trailing 21-3 and committing to clawing back, one snap at a time. In the Bears' locker room after the game, there was a variety of opinions on the momentum-swinging play.

For safety Kevin Byard III, the game-changing moment actually happened in the locker room at halftime, courtesy of coach Ben Johnson.

"Ben was just talking to the group, talking about, 'Hey, we've got 30 minutes. Let's make this the most memorable game in Chicago Bears history.'

"We all know we're a resilient team. There's no quit in this team. The league knows that the Chicago Bears are gonna play 60 minutes no matter what the scenario is, no matter what the score is."

Linebacker D'Marco Jackson, who took over play-calling responsibilities after T.J. Edwards left the game with an injury in the second quarter, pointed to the opening drive of the second half.

"That quick three-and-out, it set the tone," Jackson said. "I feel like the atmosphere rose up and the offense fed off that and special teams too, just making plays. It was really just complementary football for everyone."

Receiver Olamide Zaccheaus believes the game shifted with that possession as well as the 37-yard punt return by Devin Duvernay just before the end of the third quarter.

"Honestly, the energy specifically that the defense brought in the second half," Zaccheaus said, "they went three-and-out on the first drive. The defense sparked it off for us. Them coming out with that energy, getting a stop early. And then we had the big returns by Duv, too. Those were big plays just to create momentum for us."

Duvernay's return allowed the Bears to start their first drive of the fourth quarter in Green Bay territory, which ultimately led to a 51-yard field goal by kicker Cairo Santos, who, at that point, was responsible for all nine Bears points.

"Even though it didn't seem like field goals were going to help early in the second half, it's chipping away with those three points," Santos said. "We always talk about every point matters. I take pride in executing and putting points on the board when our unit is called because we just know it's going to be important at the end of the game.

"We execute from the first kick to the last like we depend on it."

Santos' third and final field goal cut the deficit to 21-9 less than two minutes into the fourth quarter. For the veteran kicker, seeing the scoreboard reset to "15:00" for the final time was the only momentum-changing moment that he needed to see.

"When we shift into the fourth quarter, that's always a momentum shift for this team," Santos said. "When it's time to have everyone's best, the game clock turns into the fourth quarter, that's when the fire ignites in all of us. Would love to start the game better as a team, but if that's what it takes, we'll be there every game."

Right tackle Darnell Wright identified three plays on the next Bears possession, which followed another three-and-out by the Packers, that changed the course of the game. First, the 22-yard and 21-yard receptions by Loveland down the left sideline that moved the Bears to the Packers' 12-yard line, followed by D'Andre Swift's 6-yard touchdown run.

"I'd say the biggest one was probably when Swift scored," Wright said. "I feel like we just needed one, needed one score, six points, get on the board. And then big catches by Colston. Those right there created a little spark we needed. It let us see the end goal.

"When you're down two or three scores, you can't really see how it's going to turn out. But when you close that gap, you can see, 'Okay, one stop, touchdown. One stop, touchdown.'"

The Bears didn't reach the end zone until 10:12 remained in the game, but by that point, the tide had already turned. While they trailed 21-16, the scoreboard didn't matter. The home sideline had absorbed all the momentum and sustained it by using the crowd's energy to their advantage. No additional motivational words needed to be exchanged. The assignment was clear.

"I think we just keep giving each other opportunities," Santos said. "Nothing needs to be said. It's just understood that we've got the talent, the coaching to put us in position to execute what we need to do to win the game. It's just understood."

Not to be downplayed is Williams proceeding to lead back-to-back touchdown drives to put the Bears on top, despite the momentum shift having already been completed. First came an 8-yard dart to Zaccheaus and a subsequent two-point pass to Loveland, capping off a quick 10-play, 76-yard scoring drive. Then, following a missed field goal by Packers kicker Brandon McManus, Williams took the Bears 66 yards on six plays, ending the go-ahead drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass to receiver DJ Moore.

Now 19 weeks into Williams' sophomore season, drives like those aren't categorized as "Superman" moments by his teammates. They're expected from Williams in big moments. They're simply who he is now.

"First of all, Caleb is a tough [guy], like tough as [nails]," Wright said. "And then just poised as can be, says the right things at the right time, and does his job, just makes the right plays. He's in a different category — I don't even know."

Regardless of when or how the Bears turned the game on its head and rallied for their seventh comeback victory of the season, one sentiment remained consistent in the players' messaging.

Belief.

With each play made, defensive stop and score in the second half, the team's existing belief in their ability to find a way to win only strengthened. It's a belief that has been instilled by Johnson since spring workouts, through training camp and during the regular season. Reiterating that message at halftime stuck with the Bears until the clock hit 0:00.

"The only option we had was to go out there and be legendary," Williams said of Johnson's halftime message, "go out there and execute, and go out there and do our part on the offensive side, defensive side, and special teams. Have each other's back. Go win the [darn] game."