GREEN BAY, Wis. — Winning their season finale would only put the Bears in worse NFL draft position. Players on the 2024 roster don’t care about that one bit.

They desperately wanted to end a lost season on high note, to taste victory again after 10 consecutive losses. There’s also the rivalry element when playing the Green Bay Packers, who have dominated the longstanding series of late with 11 straight wins.

Motivation was therefore higher than one might expect. That was evident when the Bears jumped out to an early lead — supplemented by a crazy trick play — that lasted through halftime.

It held.

Caleb Williams and the Bears pulled off an improbable fourth-quarter drive to beat the Packers 24-22 at Lambeau Field and snap their 10-game losing streak.

Let’s take a close look at this last game in our instant analysis:

Bair’s breakdown

The Bears pulled out all the stops trying to beat the Packers for the first time in forever. We saw trick plays, an energetic defensive effort and a renewed commitment to the run game.

Chicago’s offense still looks disjointed in its last game operating in this current scheme, but they were pushing hard for victory. That’s totally fine, considering the toll taken a double-digit losing streak took on the locker room.

The players needed this. chance. So, so bad. 

They’ve been searching for complimentary football most of this season and finally got it, with takeaways on defense and touchdowns from the offense (one off a turnover) and special teams.

That was barely enough to pull out a late comeback win to end the season on a high note. 

Key stat

6-for-7, 81 yards

That was Williams’ line on the Bears’ two fourth quarter scoring drives. When the team needed him most, Williams showed poise and drove his team down the field. That game-scoring drive was especially impressive. On the first play, Williams escaped pressure and drew a horse collar penalty to advance the ball 15 yards. Then, he connected with fellow rookie Rome Odunze on a nice, 15-yard pickup down the sideline.

His most impressive feat, though, may have been the one that ultimately won them the game, though.

Pivot point

With 14 seconds left in the game, the Bears offense lined up with a trio of wide receivers in a line own the right side. That created enough confusion to leave DJ Moore on an island on the left side and Williams connected with the star receiver for an 18-yard pickup to the Green Bay 33. The offense scurried down field, spiked the football and set up Cairo Santos’ walk-off field goal.

What’s next

The Bears have wrapped their 2024 season, one of the worst on record. A season that started with such promise ended in disappointment and the need to hire a new head coach. That will start in earnest this week, with general manager Ryan Poles will lead that effort, which will stand as one of the most important decision in recent history.