The Bears were down by 10 points in the second half in their previous matchup before coming back.
Chicago tied the score midway through the fourth quarter. Green Bay regained the lead with 3:37 left. The Bears drove the field, but Williams threw Cole Kmet in the end zone, leading to a game-tying Keisean Nixon pass.
It was a brutal way to lose, but the Bears showed fight, putting a sluggish first half behind them to make it a late contest.
Coach Ben Johnson appreciated Williams’ focus on the end of the game, knowing his quarterback would look to make up for the mistakes in the playoffs.
“I’m glad Caleb didn’t like how the last one ended,” Johnson said Monday. “None of us should do that, no one likes to lose. The only way you can shake that feeling is to look for more wins. That’s our intention.”
The loss to Green Bay gave up command of the NFC North. The Bears’ win over the Browns last Sunday, combined with the Packers’ loss in Denver, put Chicago back on top of the division with three games to play.
Saturday’s showdown is huge for the Bears’ playoff position. Next Gen Stats puts the odds of Chicago in the playoffs now at 71%. A win would jump them to 92%. A loss would put this probability at 53%.
With the Packers, 49ers and Lions remaining on the slate, the Bears are trying to prove they belong.
“I think we’re ready,” Williams said. “We’ve played teams that have a lot of wins. We’ve played teams that don’t. We’ve played close games. We’ve played games where we’ve beaten teams by a lot. We’ve played teams where we had to work on special teams, offense, defense, run the ball, whatever.
“I think we’re ready for just about anything — hot weather, cold weather, whatever the case may be. We’re going to go out there and fight. I know that.”