Caleb Williams and the Bears celebrated a playoff victory. © APA / PATRICK MCDERMOTT

Bears defeat Packers in NFL playoffs

The Chicago Bears have won a playoff game for the first time in 15 years, prevailing in a thrilling duel against the Green Bay Packers.

11 January 2026

From: cst

In a 31-27 victory at Soldier Field, the home team turned the game around after an early 3-21 deficit, sparking jubilation among their fans. The Bears had last participated in the playoffs five years ago, and their last win was even further back. As the second-seeded team in the NFC, the Bears had played a significantly better regular season than the Packers, but were still considered slight underdogs going into the game.

At the start of the final quarter, Chicago trailed 6-21. According to US media reports, the Bears had never before overcome an 18-point deficit in the playoffs. A missed extra point and a failed field goal by the Packers gave the home team a path to victory – and Caleb Williams' team seized the opportunity. "We understand it's 60 minutes of football and we know what that means for Chicago. So we keep going and going and going," Williams said. Amazon Prime. He gained 361 yards and threw two touchdown passes. His two interceptions ultimately didn't matter. Jordan Love's 323 yards and four touchdown passes weren't enough for the Packers.

Rams narrowly defeat Panthers

Earlier, the favored Los Angeles Rams had prevailed against the Carolina Panthers, albeit with unexpected difficulty. A touchdown with 38 seconds remaining secured their advancement in the 34-31 victory, after the Panthers had twice taken the lead in the final quarter and capitalized on Rams errors. "We made some mistakes along the way, but we found a way to win it. The defense said, 'We're going to do this,' and they did," Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford told the TV station. Fox.

The Rams, led by Matthew Stafford, defeated the Carolina Panthers. © APA / JARED C. TILTON

The Rams' opponent in the Divisional Round depends on the other results. Without any surprises, they are likely to face the Seattle Seahawks, who, as the best team in the NFC, received a bye in the first round.

Stafford delivers when it counts.

Stafford, who finished with three touchdown passes and 304 passing yards, led the Rams to a strong start. The visitors jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and the Panthers struggled to find their footing. After halftime, however, the home team energized the crowd in Charlotte and kept the game exciting until the final buzzer. An interception by Frankfurt-born defensive end Mike Jackson gave the Panthers their first lead, and a blocked punt then set them up for another 31-27 advantage.

But then Stafford threw a perfect pass to Colby Parkinson, and the 27-year-old scored the decisive touchdown in close quarters. In the remaining seconds, the Los Angeles defense ensured the Panthers gained no further yards, ending their season.