This browser does not support the Video element.
Bears-Rams recap: Dissecting the interception play that led to OT loss
The Bears’ storybook season comes to a crushing end with an overtime loss to the Rams, as Lou Canellis breaks down the costly interception and key coaching decisions.
The somber mood continued at Halas Hall on Monday.
Over 12 hours after Harrison Mevis’ kick pushed the Los Angeles Rams over the Chicago Bears in overtime in the NFC Divisional Round, the Bears were back to clean out their lockers.
Instead of the routine the Bears had been in the last 20 weeks, they’re going home for the offseason. The emotions took time to process in the last 12 hours.
"Being able to drive home and you're expecting to wake up the next day and come into the facility and watch the film and do all these different things," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said. "You're getting into such a routine."
In that time, the Bears have found ways to balance the sting of the overtime loss with the success of the season and the impending changes they know are coming soon.
But, the belief the Bears had in themselves, their coach and their quarterback were still on display as the team cleaned out their lockers after a run to the Divisional Round in the NFC Playoffs.
What they're saying:
For Bears guard Jonah Jackson, the year played like a movie in his head.
It all flashed before his eyes, and then it was gone. What he’s left with is the fact that this 2025 Bears team would never get a chance to play with the same locker room again.
"It's tough, but you appreciate the good things that happened," Jackson said. "It's kind of like life flashes before your eyes. The year flashes before your eyes and, like I said, it sucks because there's going to be a lot of turnover, a lot of new faces and things like that. But, you just appreciate what you have when you had it."
That was a common theme in the Halas Hall locker room on Monday. Players understand the nature of the business. The NFL comes with turnover, and the Bears will have plenty of it this offseason.
Those discussions will come in the near future.
For now, the Bears will have their chance to reset their minds and bodies. Taking time away from football and the grind of keeping their bodies right is needed to start fresh when next season comes around.
The offseason brings a chance to work on facets of the game that weren’t where some players wanted them to be during the year. For example, Williams said he’s going to dedicate a portion of the offseason to work on his footwork and his accuracy.
In the end, the Bears that will be here next season and beyond know this was just the starting point.
"I don't think there's any sense that we've finished building anything," Bears center Drew Dalman said. "I think we're really happy with the progress we've made and with kind of the trajectory we're on, but I don't think anybody feels like satisfied with the finished product."
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 18: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Im …
The other side:
However, one theme that hung around Halas Hall was the belief in the head coach and in the quarterback.
In one season as the Bears’ head coach, Ben Johnson’s biggest accomplishment is getting the Bears to believe they can win games.
The city surrounding the Bears began to believe, and that’s why the loss to Los Angeles stings as much as it does. The players, fans and city believed it was going to happen. That was Johnson’s doing.
"He's established a winning culture and he's definitely given us something to build on," Bears right tackle Darnell Wright said. "Especially, I know for me for sure."
The intentional part of Johnson’s coaching is what stands tall at the end of the season. Focusing on details was a necessity when he took over as head coach almost a year ago.
Johnson demanded that focus in a way the resonated with the Bears.
"Focus on details and things of that nature," Bears running back Kyle Monangai said. "Offensive genius as everybody knows, but just him as the person, as the coach, demands a lot of us but for the right reason. He knows what it takes to win."
With Johnson comes the pairing with his quarterback.
Williams, in Year 2 with the Bears, set the franchise’s single-season passing record, led the team to seven comeback wins and made throws that were a perfect example of why he was the No. 1 overall pick.
The Bears believed they could win, and Williams led them to those wins. The Bears have found their quarterback, and the belief in Halas Hall extends to him.
"There was games where he single-handedly won us the game," Wright said. "He's the best quarterback I ever played with for sure. So I'm happy he's gonna be my quarterback next year."