| Good morning, Chicago. The Bears had been here before. Quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense took possession with 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter Sunday night against the 49ers. Trailing by four points, the Bears needed a touchdown. All night, coach Ben Johnson’s Bears had gone toe-to-toe with Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers in a game that turned into a shootout pretty much from the start. Moments earlier, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had connected with Jauan Jennings for a 38-yard touchdown that put San Francisco ahead. Williams took over with the game on the line, a position he has grown very comfortable with after leading the Bears to six fourth-quarter comebacks this season. He connected with wide receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland for key completions to draw the offense to the 13-yard line. A pass to Loveland, who pitched to running back D’Andre Swift, brought the Bears to the 2. San Francisco 49ers players celebrate after Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker couldn’t make a game-winning catch in the end zone on the final play Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (Armando L.
Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) With four seconds on the clock and the game on the line, Williams scrambled from the pocket and tossed a pass intended for Jahdae Walker in the end zone, but it fell incomplete for a dramatic 42-38 loss. The Bears dropped to 11-5, but they already had locked up the NFC North title. The loss, though, means the Bears can’t earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which comes with a first-round bye. Stay connected with us all day: Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest news in your inbox. And you can follow us on social media: X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Threads. Not a Tribune subscriber? Here's our latest offer. | 
