Rivalry games always carry a special flavor, but when the Chicago Bears welcomed the Detroit Lions to Soldier Field on January 4, 2026, the stakes were sky-high for one side and all about pride for the other. The Bears, under the fresh leadership of head coach Ben Johnson, had already completed a stunning turnaround season and were on the verge of cementing their place as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. For the Lions, playoff hopes were dashed, but the motivation to spoil a division rival’s celebration was as strong as ever. In the midst of it all, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was chasing a milestone that has eluded every Bears signal-caller in franchise history: the elusive 4,000-yard passing season.
Let’s set the stage. The Bears, carrying a record that had them on the cusp of a top playoff seed, needed a win to lock it in. The Lions, led by Jared Goff, had nothing to play for but pride and the chance to serve as a thorn in Chicago’s side. Yet, for Bears fans, the subplot was even juicier. Caleb Williams, the former No. 1 overall pick, entered the game with 3,730 passing yards. If he could rack up 270 yards against Detroit, he’d become the first Bears quarterback to ever hit the 4,000-yard mark—a feat every other NFL team has already accomplished. The pressure, the history, and the rivalry all combined for a tense, wintry afternoon at Soldier Field.
From the opening whistle, both teams played with urgency. The Lions’ defense, battered by injuries but still feisty, sought to keep Williams in check. On the other side, Williams was determined to make history, orchestrating drives with a blend of poise and aggression. Early on, he connected with Colston Loveland for a handful of key gains, setting the tone for a game that would swing back and forth all afternoon.
The first quarter saw both teams feeling each other out, with the Lions striking first on a Jake Bates 34-yard field goal. The Bears responded with a methodical drive, capped by Williams finding Loveland again for a short gain before D’Andre Swift helped move the chains on the ground. The chess match between Williams and the Lions’ defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was on full display, as both sides traded punts and field position in the blustery Chicago wind.
As the game progressed into the second quarter, the Lions’ offense found a rhythm. Jared Goff, who had torched the Bears earlier in the season, connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs to keep the chains moving. Goff’s precision paid off when he found Gibbs down the middle for a 15-yard touchdown, giving Detroit a 10-3 lead after a successful extra point from Bates. The Bears, undaunted, leaned on Williams’ arm and his growing chemistry with Loveland and Cole Kmet. Williams engineered a late-half drive that saw him hit DJ Moore for a crucial first down, but the Lions’ defense stiffened, forcing Chicago to settle for a field goal before halftime.
At the break, the scoreboard read 10-6 in favor of Detroit, and Williams’ pursuit of 4,000 yards was still very much in play. But the weather—below freezing and swirling winds—wasn’t doing him any favors, and both teams looked to the ground game to chew up clock and protect the football. The Lions, for their part, were determined not to let history be made at their expense, especially after their defense had allowed just 234.7 passing yards per game on the season, despite some recent struggles.
The third quarter saw the Bears claw back. Williams, showing why he was the top pick, delivered a strike to Jahdae Walker for a 25-yard touchdown. The Bears went for two, and Kyle Monangai powered in the conversion, giving Chicago a 14-13 lead. But the Lions wouldn’t go away quietly. Goff orchestrated a drive that resulted in a 25-yard field goal from Bates, nudging Detroit ahead 16-14 as the final quarter loomed.
What followed was a tense, mistake-filled fourth quarter, as both teams battled nerves and the elements. Williams, needing every yard he could muster, completed a series of short passes—Loveland, Kmet, and Luther Burden III all chipping in. But Detroit’s defense, led by Derrick Barnes and Avonte Maddox, forced a critical interception and a fumble, keeping the Bears’ offense from finding its usual rhythm. Still, Chicago’s defense answered the call, with Kevin Byard III snagging a clutch interception off Goff to swing momentum back in the Bears’ favor.
With time ticking away, Williams engineered a calm, measured drive. He found Loveland for a 1-yard touchdown, and then connected with Kmet for a two-point conversion, pushing the Bears ahead 19-16. The Lions had one last gasp, but the Bears’ defense stood tall. On Detroit’s final drive, Goff moved the ball into field goal range, but Jake Bates’ 42-yard attempt sailed wide, sealing Chicago’s hard-fought victory.
The final whistle brought relief and celebration to Soldier Field. The Bears had secured the NFC’s No. 2 seed, a remarkable turnaround under Ben Johnson’s leadership. But for Williams, the night was bittersweet. Despite his efforts, he fell short of the 270 passing yards needed to break the 4,000-yard barrier—a milestone that remains just out of reach for Chicago quarterbacks. The Bears’ drought as the only NFL team never to have a 4,000-yard passer continues, with the New York Jets now holding the second-longest such streak since Joe Namath’s 1967 season.
Williams finished the season averaging 233.1 passing yards per game, and while he surpassed 270 yards four times this season, the Lions’ defense, even in a lost year, kept him just shy of history. According to the game’s official statistics, Williams’ biggest plays came in moments of high pressure, but the combination of Detroit’s pass rush and the swirling winds proved too much to overcome.
For the Lions, the defeat stings, but they can take pride in playing spoiler and ending the season with a gritty performance. For the Bears, the focus now shifts to the playoffs, where Williams and company will look to build on their momentum and chase a different kind of history—a deep postseason run. As the city of Chicago celebrates a division title and a top playoff seed, the wait for a 4,000-yard passer goes on. But if this season is any indication, it may not be long before Williams or another Bears quarterback finally breaks through.
With playoff football returning to Soldier Field and a new era dawning under Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, Bears fans have plenty to cheer about—even if the record books remain stubbornly unchanged, for now.
