The kid who once wore a Superman cape under his youth football uniform just delivered a performance befitting the nickname. On a frigid Saturday night at Soldier Field, Caleb Williams reminded everyone why he was the most hyped quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck—and why the Chicago Bears made him the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Down 21-3 at halftime to their bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Williams orchestrated the largest playoff comeback in Bears franchise history, leading his team to a stunning 31-27 victory. The win marked Chicago's first playoff triumph in 15 years and validated everything Williams accomplished during his legendary college career at USC.

For those who watched Williams dominate the Pac-12 in 2022, Saturday night's fourth-quarter magic felt like déjà vu.

The Heisman Winner's Homecoming

Williams' path to this moment began in Norman, Oklahoma, where he started his college career with the Sooners before following head coach Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles. But it was his sophomore season at USC—the one that ended with a Heisman Trophy—that provided the blueprint for Saturday's heroics.

In 2022, Williams threw for 4,537 yards and a nation-leading 42 touchdowns for the Trojans. More importantly, he developed a reputation for late-game magic that became his calling card. Remember the Cotton Bowl against Tulane? Despite USC's 46-45 loss, Williams threw for 462 yards and five touchdowns, setting bowl game records in both categories.[1]

That same fearlessness—the willingness to keep slinging it regardless of the scoreboard—showed up when the Bears needed it most on Saturday.

A Tale of Two Halves

The first half at Soldier Field was a disaster. Williams completed just 8 of 20 passes for 97 yards and looked every bit like a quarterback in his first playoff game. The Packers jumped out to a 21-3 lead, with Jordan Love throwing three first-half touchdowns. Chicago's win probability dipped to a measly 3.0% at one point.[2]

But if there's one thing Williams learned at USC, it's that the game isn't over until it's over.

"We've been here before," Williams said after the game, referencing the Bears' eight one-score wins during the regular season. "This is what we do."[3]

The Fourth Quarter Explosion

What happened in the final 15 minutes was vintage Caleb Williams—the same player who once put up 48 points against Oklahoma State, the same one who carved up defenses with 30+ point performances week after week for the Trojans.

Here's how Williams orchestrated the comeback:

Quarter	Bears Points	Key Plays
1st	3	Field goal only
2nd	0	Held scoreless
3rd	6	Two field goals
4th	22	3 TDs, 1 two-point conversion

Williams completed 16 of 28 passes for 264 yards in the second half alone, including two touchdown passes and a crucial two-point conversion. His numbers for the night—24-of-48 for 361 yards—set a new Bears franchise record for passing yards in a playoff game, surpassing Mitch Trubisky's 303 from 2018.[4]

But the statistics only tell part of the story.

The Plays That Mattered

The signature moment came with 4:21 remaining and the Bears trailing 27-16. Facing fourth-and-8 from the Packers' 45-yard line, Williams dropped back and delivered what announcer Al Michaels called "perhaps the finest throw of Williams' career"—a perfectly placed sideline shot that moved the chains.[5]

Five plays later, Williams found Olamide Zaccheaus for an eight-yard touchdown. Then came the gutsy call: going for two. Williams connected with rookie tight end Colston Loveland at the front-left pylon, cutting the deficit to 27-24.

After a missed field goal by the Packers' Brandon McManus gave Chicago one more chance, Williams needed just six plays to complete the comeback. The game-winner? A 25-yard strike to DJ Moore down the left sideline with 1:43 remaining.

Moore, coincidentally, was also the recipient of Williams' walk-off overtime touchdown against these same Packers just three weeks earlier in Week 16.

From Trojan Legend to Bears Savior

The parallels between Williams' college dominance and his NFL breakthrough are striking. At USC, he became known for his ability to improvise, extend plays with his legs, and deliver accurate throws from impossible angles. Those same traits were on full display Saturday.

Consider his 2022 Heisman season statistics:

Category	Total	Rank
Passing Yards	4,537	4th nationally
Passing TDs	42	Co-led nation
Rushing TDs	10	-
Total TDs	52	Set USC record
QB Rating	167.94	5th nationally

Williams became just the eighth USC player to win the Heisman Trophy, joining legends like Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, and Marcus Allen.[6]

Now in his second NFL season, Williams has translated that college production to the professional level. His 3,942 passing yards in 2025 broke Erik Kramer's 30-year-old Bears franchise record, and his 27 touchdown passes tied the fourth-most in a single season for Chicago.[7]

The Superman Mentality

Williams' nickname—"Superman"—came from his youth football days when he wore a cape under his jersey. It became the centerpiece of his Caleb Cares Foundation, which fights bullying and promotes mental health awareness with the mission statement: "to inspire more superheroes to fight bullying so we can all realize that what makes us different is our superpower."[8]

That superhero mentality has defined his entire football journey. At USC, Williams led one of college football's most explosive offenses, helping the Trojans to an 11-3 record in his Heisman season. He developed chemistry with future NFL receivers like Jordan Addison and showcased the dual-threat ability that made him such a nightmare for defenses.

On Saturday, those same qualities emerged when the Bears needed them most. His ability to escape pressure, extend plays, and deliver accurate throws under duress—all hallmarks of his college game—proved the difference between a disappointing playoff exit and a historic victory.

The Bigger Picture

This wasn't just Williams' first playoff win. It was a validation of everything the Bears bet on when they selected him first overall. It was proof that the college star who drew comparisons to Patrick Mahomes could deliver on the biggest stage.

First-year head coach Ben Johnson, who left the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator job to take over in Chicago, has helped Williams evolve his game. The Bears averaged 28.4 points per game this season, a dramatic improvement from the 17.9 they managed in 2024.[9]

But Saturday's comeback was pure Williams—the same player who once threw for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns as a true freshman at Oklahoma, who transferred to USC and immediately rewrote the record books, who declared for the NFL Draft as the consensus top prospect and has now delivered on that promise.

Game-Winning Drives Are in His DNA

Williams' eighth career game-winning drive (his seventh this season) continued a trend that started in college. In his final season at USC, he routinely brought the Trojans back from deficits, using his legs and arm to create plays when structure broke down.

The 4th-and-8 conversion on Saturday? That was pure improvisation, the kind of play Williams made routinely for the Trojans. The touchdown to Moore? A perfectly thrown ball that only an elite quarterback can deliver under pressure.

"This is what we do," Williams said simply after the game, as if leading an 18-point playoff comeback was just another day at the office.[10]

For someone who broke USC's single-season records for total offense (4,919 yards), total touchdowns (52), passing completions (333), and passing yards (4,537), maybe it is.[11]

Looking Ahead

The Bears' season isn't over. Williams and company will host either the Los Angeles Rams or Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round next weekend at Soldier Field. And after what they just accomplished against the Packers, nobody should doubt their ability to pull off another miracle.

Williams' warning to Green Bay after the game said it all: "We're going to be here for a while."[12]

For a quarterback who once declared his goal was to win eight Super Bowls—one more than Tom Brady—Saturday's first playoff victory represents just the beginning. The same player who captivated college football as a Heisman Trophy winner is now doing the same in the NFL.

Superman has returned. And if Saturday night proved anything, it's that the cape still fits.

The USC Connection

It's worth noting that Williams wasn't the only former Trojan making waves in the NFL playoffs this weekend. His college success at USC helped put the program back on the map during a transitional period, and his NFL success continues to validate the Trojans' reputation for developing elite quarterbacks.

Williams' 2022 Heisman campaign remains one of the most impressive single-season performances in USC history. His 47 total touchdowns led the entire nation, and his 282 points responsible for also paced the country. He threw for over 300 yards seven times that season, including twice over 400 yards.[13]

Now, four years later, he's bringing that same production to the NFL—and doing it on the sport's biggest stage.

The kid from Washington, D.C., who once averaged 42.6 points per game as a high school senior in Norman, Oklahoma, has come full circle. From five-star recruit to Heisman Trophy winner to first overall pick to playoff hero, Williams' journey validates the hype that surrounded him every step of the way.

And based on what we saw Saturday night at Soldier Field, this is only the beginning of the Superman story.