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 over throughout the rest of the year."
The Bears have won 11 of their past 13, including two in a row. Chicago has won the turnover battle 10 times this season, the most in the NFL, and won all 10 of those games. The Bears are 7-2 in one-score games after going 6-20 in such games the past three seasons combined. The last time they won this many one-score games was in 2010, when they lost to the Packers in the NFC title game. The Bears have six victories this season after trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, the most such wins in a season since the 1970 merger.
Let's dance 🕺 pic.twitter.com/U0FDG0hbJm
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 22, 2025
The Lions' loss also earned the San Francisco 49ers (10-4) a spot in the postseason. The 49ers are currently the NFC's No. 6 seed and host the Bears on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 17. Chicago closes the regular season at Soldier Field against the Detroit Lions on Jan. 4.
The Bears' last win in the postseason came during the 2010 season when they were the NFC's No. 2 seed. After earning a bye, Chicago beat Seattle 35-24 in the divisional round before losing to eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game.