Bears break 11-game losing streak against Packers, defeating them 24-22 with last-second field goal

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Caleb Williams drove Chicago to Cairo Santos' 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Bears snapped a 10-game skid with a 24-22 victory over the playoff-bound Green Bay Packers, who lost quarterback Jordan Love and wide receiver Christian Watson to injuries on Sunday.

The Bears (5-12) beat the Packers for the first time since 2018 and ended an 11-game losing streak in this rivalry. It was redemption for Santos, who had a 46-yard field goal blocked by Karl Brooks on the final play of a 20-19 loss to the Packers on Nov. 17.

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It doesn't matter that the Bears only won five games this season. The fact that they ended it with a win in Green Bay was enough for many Bears fans, celebrating the win but now they're asking management to raise the bar this offseason.

Brandon McManus had put Green Bay ahead by making a 55-yard field goal with 54 seconds left. Williams got the Bears into field-goal range by throwing an 18-yard completion to DJ Moore, whose fumble had set up the McManus kick.

Green Bay (11-6) is the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs and will play at Philadelphia in the wild-card round.

It was a disappointing 5-12 finish for the Bears, but there was at least some solace for the fanbase with a rare win over the Packers.

Bears fan Payton Fleming went through all the emotions during Sunday's game with dozens of other bears fans at Weathermark Tavern in the South Loop.

"It's been six years... it's been six years coming," Fleming said. "I cried already... but it's been so nice to finally beat them."

Once the game winning kick went through, the fans got to enjoy the team's first win since October 13.

"We are ready for next year now and ready to go let's go do it," a Bears fan named Brian said.

That's a sentiment bears fans are used to, relying on the hope that next year will be different.

"I mean at this point unfortunately I'm used to it it's just pain and I've gotten used to it," Bears fan Dan Balog said.

Now fans will go onto debate who should be the team's next head coach while carrying some optimism that young quarterback Caleb Williams has the talent to bring the city a Super Bowl.

"We need some wins next year I hope we give Caleb some protection but yeah I'm looking forward to next year already," a Bears fan named Phil said.

The big win was enough for bears to be happy and smile throughout Sunday, but now they're hoping for this head coaching search to lead to some real talent on this bears roster.

"I was born and raised here," Fleming said. "There's no other team I'd rather cheer for the biggest haters of the bears are people from Chicago because we know what they're capable of."

Meanwhile, the Packers wait on the status of Watson and Love. Watson was carted off the field with a knee injury in the second quarter and Love departed with an elbow issue later in that same series.

Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said Love was held out as a precaution. The QB had some practice tosses on the sideline late in the game.

The Packers had opted to play their starters rather than rest them for the postseason even though they already had clinched a playoff berth with their Dec. 23 victory over New Orleans. Sunday's results still could have impacted their seeding.

That plan proved costly when Watson and Love both got hurt in the same second-quarter series with the Packers trailing 14-3.

Watson, who missed a loss at Minnesota last weekend with a hurt left knee, clutched his right knee after going down while running a pattern in a non-contact injury. Watson walked to the sideline and later was carted into the locker room.

Later in that series, Love flipped a pass to Josh Jacobs while facing heavy pressure, then started to shake his throwing hand. Love eventually left with an elbow injury as Malik Willis took over for the rest of the drive, which ended with a Jacobs 8-yard touchdown run.

Willis ended up going 10 of 13 for 136 yards with a fumble.

Chicago took an early lead because of its defense and special teams. Williams was 21 of 29 for 148 yards with a touchdown pass to Moore, who had nine catches for 86 yards.

The Bears took their first lead since the opening quarter of a 30-27 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 24 by utilizing some trickery on a punt return.

As Moore acted as though he was preparing to catch a punt near Green Bay's sideline, Josh Blackwell actually got the ball while his back was toward the line of scrimmage way over near Chicago's sideline.

Most of the Packers in coverage converged on Moore and other Bears, creating a clear lane for Blackwell. He made it into the end zone untouched for a 94-yard touchdown.

That play enabled Chicago to end the first quarter ahead 7-3 despite getting outgained 87-(minus-4). It was the first time since Sept. 4, 1994, that a team led a game after the first quarter despite having less than zero total yards.

A fumble by Jayden Reed led to a D'Andre Swift 4-yard run that put Chicago ahead 14-3 early in the second quarter.

ABC7 Chicago's Maher Kawash contributed to this report.