A controversial fourth-down call sparks debate. New tape reveals the play's design, showcasing a brilliant strategy that almost succeeded.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson took a risk late in the game against the Green Bay Packers.
He opted to draw up a pass play on a 4th-and-1 on the Green Bay 14-yard line. The play was designed to be a bootleg for Caleb Williams. Williams rolled out and tried to get the ball to tight end Cole Kmet, but it was intercepted by Keisean Nixon, ending the game.
The decision seemed questionable at first. However, if you look at it from a different angle, it actually wasn't supposed to go that way.
Kmet's defender dropped and covered D'Andre Swift in the flat. You can also see that D.J. Moore was open because Nixon was covering him, and Nixon switched to Kmet, resulting in that interception.
Simply put, if Williams had seen Kmet earlier, we might be talking about a different outcome.
To further prove that the decision was the right one to make, Packers' head coach Matt LaFleur even said that his defense was preparing for a running play in that situation at a recent press conference.
"We were playing for a run right there," LaFleur said. "They threw a pass. It's one of those things where we guessed wrong, until we didn't."
It's easy in hindsight to say that Johnson should have just run the ball, especially with players like Swift and Kyle Monangai at his disposal. Sometimes plays just aren't executed properly, and things like that happen in the NFL.
Chicago comes into Week 15 as the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff picture and is second in the NFC North. Green Bay is now the No. 2 seed, as the Los Angeles Rams reclaimed the top spot after their 45-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Although it can be easy to dwell on a heartbreaking loss like that, Chicago will now shift focus to its next game against the Cleveland Browns. Shedeur Sanders will be the second rookie quarterback Chicago faces in 2025. The Bears previously took on Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants, winning 24-20.
After Cleveland, the Bears have three crucial games against NFC foes. The Bears take on the Packers again, then face the San Francisco 49ers, and end the regular season with the Detroit Lions.
The Bears are now 9-4 with plenty left to play for. Chicago must take on the Packers again after the Browns game, then face the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.