If you turned off the television with six minutes left in the Bears-Giants Week 10 battle, you missed, yet again, a masterful comeback from the Chicago Bears offense, led by Caleb Williams.
Trailing 20-10, the Bears looked listless, struggling to contain rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, and fighting themselves more than the opponent as drops plagued the passing game.
But with the game hanging by a thread, Williams didn’t just step up — he put the entire team on his back, orchestrating two consecutive touchdown drives for a stunning, come-from-behind 24-20 victory at Soldier Field.
The Bears’ defense, shaky all day, rose to the occasion only when forced to, but make no mistake: this was the Caleb Williams show.
Although the victory again defied the criteria of a “pretty win,” it was a gritty performance and a must win for a fringe playoff team hoping to make a run at the postseason.
Three Quarters of Struggle
I posted on X right before the game that the Bears weren’t facing an ordinary 2-7 team. This Giants outfit had some defensive playmakers, particularly along the defensive line. And quarterback Jaxson Dart looks to be the real deal and is difficult to contain.
The Bears were in for a slugfest.
The Battle Against Themselves: Offensive Inefficiency
For three quarters of action, the Bears looked absolutely lifeless on offense. Outside a touchdown drive on their second possession of the game, the offense was stonewalled by a combination of their own inadequacies and an energetic Giants defense.
The unforced errors mounted. Despite some terrific maneuvering in and out of the pocket, Williams got little help from his receivers, who dropped six passes on the game.
Through three quarters, the Bears punted three times and turned the ball over on downs twice more in the seven possessions not including the kneel down to end the half.
Yeah, I get it. It was cold. There were flurries which led to suboptimal field conditions and ball integrity. But the Giants offense under the leadership of Dart operated just fine.
Williams was constantly forced to escape pressure, using his legs for a few key scrambles, but struggling to find rhythm with his targets. His final 83.1 passer rating reflected the battle against both the Giants’ defense and his own supporting cast.
Defensive Woes Against the Rookie Dart
The defense, missing three key pieces of their projected starting unit in cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, as well as linebacker T.J. Edwards, were gashed by Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Dart was efficient as both a passer and a rusher. He finished with 242 yards on 19 of 29 passing, plus 66 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. The defense had no answer for his dual-threat ability.
After giving up an 8-play, 53-yard field goal drive to close the first half, the Bears defense followed that up with a backbreaker to start the third quarter. Dart led the Giants offense on a 6-play 56-yard touchdown drive to extend their lead to 17-7.
The Pivot Point: Dart’s Exit and Wilson’s Arrival
Admittedly, the entire trajectory of the game shifted when the fourth quarter began.
Coming back from commercial break, the veteran Russell Wilson took the field for the Giants offense after, what was later revealed, Dart exited the game with a concussion.
The poise and execution exhibited by the Giants offense with Dart at the helm was gone in a flash. It was the change in personnel desperately needed by the Bears defense.
Caleb Takes Over
With 6:13 on the clock and the scoreboard reading Giants 20, Bears 10, things were looking bleak. Everything had gone wrong for three quarters and the Bears once more resembled a team that had no business seeking the playoffs.
But the final six minutes created an opportunity for a clutch quarterback to add to his resume.
Closing the Gap (20-17)
Williams is no stranger to leading comeback drives. Whether it was a few times during his rookie season or as recent as last week against the Bengals, the guy rises up in the clutch.
Williams began the drive with a scramble for 7 yards on first down, immediately followed by a quick strike to Colston Loveland to move the chains.
After two incompletions — including a deep pass to Rome Odunze that deflected off the receiver’s hands — Williams came up clutch again.
Williams evaded pressure and scrambled to his left, throwing across his body and completing a 20-yard dart to Loveland to keep the drive alive.
Williams then connected with Odunze for 18 yards, before using his legs once more, scrambling 29 yards to the 2-yard-line. He hit a wide-open Odunze for a touchdown to close the gap to 20-17.
The Defense’s Moment
I think most Bears fans at this point have faith in Williams and the offense to go get points when they need it. Especially in the fourth quarter.
But it was the defense that was called to task now, and they hadn’t shown up all game.
Fortunately, the veteran Wilson isn’t a fraction of what Dart is at this point in his career.
Sacks by Montez Sweat and Ceedy Gardner-Johnson — his second of the game and third in two weeks with the team — led to a three-and-out, and the Bears would get the ball back.
A shanked punt set up the Bears offense at midfield, giving Williams prime position to lead the go-ahead drive.
The Game-Winner: Williams’s Heroics Complete the Rally (24-20)
The final drive was pure adrenaline, demonstrating why Williams is the centerpiece of the franchise.
Having battled through drops and poor field position all day, he took the outcome into his own hands and carried the team on his back.
After a D’Andre Swift 7-yard gain to start the drive, Williams threw a strike to Luther Burden for 27 yards, down to the 19-yard-line.
Two plays later, Williams scrambled left and scampered 17 yards down the sideline for the go-ahead score. Credit to Cole Kmet for eliminating his defender on the play with an excellent block that paved the way to the end zone.
The Final Stand: Defense Seals the Deal
Although Williams’ touchdown gave the team the lead, there was still 1:47 left to go in the game. Plenty of time for last-minute heroics from the Giants, or a potential collapse from a defense just one week removed from wetting the bed in Cincinnati.
Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen dialed up some relentless pressure on the tired old Wilson, too slow to get out of his own way. And with the switch from the younger, athletic Dart to the aging Wilson, the Giants’ playbook was cut significantly.
The Giants did manage to pick up one first down on that final drive, quite ironically off a Wilson scramble. But three incompletions later, it set up a fourth and long with the opportunity for some heroics from Tremaine Edmunds.
The Bears’ linebacker, much maligned by the fanbase in his time in Chicago, but having a terrific 2025 season, managed to hit Wilson’s arm causing a lollipop incomplete pass, securing the win for the Bears.
Conclusion and Looking Ahead
The final kneel-down was more than just the end of a game; it was the exclamation point on a performance that will define Caleb Williams’ early career and potentially the Bears’ entire season.
The Caleb Takeaway: The “Clutch Gene” Confirmed
Needless to say, there was nothing “clean” about this victory. And I would hope that as the “Ben Johnson Effect” continues to permeate through the entire organization, this team learns to play a full 60 minutes and put teams away sooner.
Still, there’s something cinematic about watching a star player take over a game and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Is Caleb a star? He’s working on it. There are fine points of his game he will continue to develop. But for now, his ability to be clutch in the fourth quarter is a massive advantage for the Bears.
Looking Ahead: Defining the Season
Are the Bears “good?” Are they legitimate playoff contenders?
These are questions that remain to be answered.
But one thing is certain: if the Bears do want to sneak into the postseason this year, beating teams like the Giants is a must.
You can’t lose to a 2-win team at home and expect to get into the playoffs.
The Bears have 8 games remaining on the schedule. It’ll probably take at least 10 wins to get into the playoffs in this uber-competitive NFC.
Can you find 4 more wins on the schedule?
The toughest two games remaining are probably the back-to-back road contests against the Eagles and Packers.
Then you have tough ones at home against the Lions and Packers, as well as a road game at San Francisco.
That leaves three “must-win” games against the Steelers and Browns, and this coming week on the road against the Vikings.
I’m looking too far ahead, of course. This is a week-to-week league and the only thing the Bears — or they’re fans — should be worried about is getting revenge on the Vikings for that Week 1 fourth quarter collapse.
If the game is close in the fourth quarter this time around, I feel pretty good about the Bears’ chances at a ‘W’.
