Lukas Van Ness Strip-Sack Stuns Soldier Field: Packers Weather Bears’ Late Surge in NFC Wild Card Thriller
CHICAGO — In a game defined by historic rivalry, polar-vortex intensity, and the desperate grit of postseason football, it was a second-year defensive end who provided the defining blow. Lukas Van Ness, the “Hercules” of the Green Bay pass rush, delivered a thunderous strip-sack of Caleb Williams early in the fourth quarter, a play that ultimately proved to be the difference-glass in the Green Bay Packers’ 27-24 victory over the Chicago Bears on Saturday night.
The NFC Wild Card matchup, just the third postseason meeting between these two storied franchises in over a century, lived up to every ounce of its billing. While Jordan Love’s three first-half touchdowns built a seemingly insurmountable 21-3 lead, the Chicago Bears—led by their rookie phenom Caleb Williams—clawed back to within a single score in a chaotic final period. But when the momentum threatened to swallow the Packers whole, Van Ness stood tall.
The Play That Shifted the Tides
With 13:29 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Packers clinging to a 21-6 lead, the Bears were knocking on the door of the red zone. The Soldier Field crowd, sensing a historic comeback, was deafening. Chicago faced a critical third-and-long at the Green Bay 33-yard line.
Van Ness, who had been quiet for much of the second half, lined up on the edge against rookie tackle Braeden McGregor. At the snap, Van Ness utilized a brutal bull-rush, driving McGregor back into the lap of Williams. As Williams attempted to climb the pocket and find D.J. Moore on a crossing route, Van Ness disengaged and lunged.
His right hand caught Williams’ throwing arm just as it began to move forward. The ball fluttered loose. While Chicago’s D’Andre Swift managed to pounce on the fumble to retain possession, the 9-yard loss forced a 51-yard Cairo Santos field goal instead of a potential touchdown.
“Lukas has that ‘close-out’ mentality,” said Packers head coach Matt LaFleur following the win. “We knew they were gaining momentum. We needed a splash play to settle the sideline down, and he delivered the biggest one of his career so far.”
A Tale of Two Halves
The game began as a masterclass in offensive efficiency for Jordan Love. Coming off a season where he led Green Bay to a 9-7-1 record and a surprise playoff berth, Love appeared unfazed by the hostile Chicago atmosphere.
- First Quarter: Love opened the scoring with a 7-yard play-action rollout to Christian Watson.
- Second Quarter: He doubled the lead with a precision 18-yard strike to Jayden Reed, before hitting Romeo Doubs for a 1-yard score just before the half.
At the intermission, Green Bay held a 21-3 lead, and Caleb Williams had been held to just 78 passing yards and one interception by Carrington Valentine. The Bears’ offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, appeared to have no answers for the Packers’ defensive pressure.
However, the second half told a different story. The Bears’ defense, led by Tremaine Edmunds and a resurgent pass rush, forced four consecutive Packers punts. Chicago narrowed the gap to 21-16 following a D’Andre Swift touchdown run and two Santos field goals.
The Final Stand
After Van Ness’s sack-fumble forced the field goal to make it 21-9, the Packers’ offense finally responded. Rookie Matthew Golden, the team’s first-round pick out of Texas, hauled in a 23-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown to push the lead to 27-16.
Yet, the Bears refused to die. Williams orchestrated a 75-yard drive, culminating in a touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus and a successful two-point conversion to Colston Loveland. With 4:18 left, it was a 27-24 game.
The Packers’ defense was forced to take the field one last time with two minutes remaining. After Rashan Gary pressured Williams into an incompletion, it was Van Ness again who flushed Williams out of the pocket on fourth down, leading to a desperate heave that fell harmlessly to the turf.
Key Game Statistics
| Player | Team | Stats |
| Jordan Love | GB | 18/27, 212 Yds, 3 TD |
| Caleb Williams | CHI | 21/39, 245 Yds, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Josh Jacobs | GB | 22 Carries, 86 Yds |
| Lukas Van Ness | GB | 4 Tackles, 1.0 Sack, 1 FF |
What’s Next?
With the win, the Packers advance to the NFC Divisional Round, where they will likely face the top-seeded Detroit Lions or the San Francisco 49ers. For the Bears, the loss marks a bittersweet end to a turnaround season that saw them win the NFC North for the first time in seven years.
“We’ll be back,” Caleb Williams told reporters. “But tonight, they made one more play than we did. That #90 (Van Ness) is a problem.”
