With Lions' loss, Bears clinch first playoff berth in 5 years - ESPN

CHICAGO — Ben Johnson had preached the magic number for weeks. The first-year Chicago Bears coach wouldn't begin to think about the postseason until his team crossed the 11-win threshold.

That happened Saturday night with a thrilling, come-from-behind 22-16 win over the Green Bay Packers, but that didn't clinch a playoff berth for the Bears.

Chicago had to wait until Sunday when the Detroit Lions lost 29-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers to celebrate its first postseason berth in five years.

«It's a signature moment for us as a team to be able to build this confidence,» quarterback Caleb Williams said after the win over Green Bay. «A signature moment for us to be able to be in the position we are with 11 wins and everything at the tip of our fingers is exactly where we want to be, I'll put it that way.»

The Bears are currently the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Chicago last made the postseason in 2020 as the NFC's third wild-card team when it finished 8-8. The Bears started out 5-1 that season before enduring a six-game losing streak. They backed their way into the postseason by picking up three late wins over the Texans, Vikings and Jaguars before losing to the Packers in the finale.

The New Orleans Saints made quick work of the Bears in the 2020 wild-card round with 21-9 victory.

Only three players from that team are still on the roster: tight end Cole Kmet, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and kicker Cairo Santos.

For Kmet, who was drafted 43rd in April 2020, the trajectory of that team and where the Bears are currently, surging into the postseason, is the biggest difference.

«As a rookie, you don't know any better,» he said. «This does feel a little different. It feels like we've got a lot of things going on right now that can carry