Caleb Williams eyes 4,000 yards
passing as Bears try to clinch NFC's No. 2 seed when they host Lions
[January 03, 2026]
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Though Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears
fell out of the running for the No. 1 seed in the NFC last week,
they still have plenty on the line before the playoffs begin.
A milestone for the quarterback and a stronger postseason position
for the team are at stake.
Williams has a chance to become the first 4,000-yard passer in the
founding NFL franchise's history, and the NFC North champion Bears
can lock up the No. 2 seed in the NFC when they close the regular
season against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field on Sunday.
“What's been stressed is going out to win,” linebacker Tremaine
Edmunds said. “If that results in us getting the 2 seed, that's what
it is. But the message is going out there to win. Obviously, we
understand what comes behind that as far as playing in front of our
fans. That's a huge momentum change in the playoffs.”
The Bears (11-5) went from finishing last in the division a year ago
to winning the NFC North for the first time since 2018 in their
first season under coach Ben Johnson. They're set to make their
first postseason appearance in five years.
As impressive as that sounds, they still have a few things to
accomplish before the playoffs begin.
They fell out of contention for the top seed last week with a narrow
loss at San Francisco, but can lock in the second spot. A win over
the Lions or a loss by Philadelphia against Washington would do just
that. Chicago would host Green Bay in a wild-card game and have
home-field advantage in the divisional round if it beats the
Packers.
The Bears would get the third seed with a loss to the Lions and a
win by Philadelphia. In that scenario, they would host the sixth
seed next week and would potentially have to travel for the
divisional round if they advance.
Record, milestone in reach
Williams will almost certainly set Chicago's single-season passing
record. With 3,730 yards, he needs 109 to surpass Erik Kramer’s
3,838 in 1995. The bigger question is whether he can also get to
4,000. The Bears are the only team in the NFL not to have a
4,000-yard passer.
The Bears have dropped three straight and six of seven against
Detroit, including a 52-21 embarrassment at Ford Field in Week 2
that put them at 0-2. But they're now in a far better spot.
Lions letdown
Detroit (8-8) comes in with three straight losses and no shot at the
playoffs after falling 23-10 at Minnesota last week.
It's a big letdown for a team that set a franchise record for wins
last year while claiming the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 15-2
record. The Lions lost two coordinators in the offseason, with
Johnson taking the Bears job and Aaron Glenn becoming the New York
Jets' head coach.
They've struggled on offense and defense lately and are in danger of
finishing last in the NFC North. They're tied with Minnesota, with
the Vikings winning both meetings.
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams passes against the San
Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in
Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
“We would’ve liked to get on a little bit of a
stretch there at some point in the last eight games and be able to
string a few together and get out of that adversity,” quarterback
Jared Goff said. “But we weren’t able to and it sucks and I wish
there was a magic potion that would have fixed everything, but there
isn’t."
Eye on Goff
The Lions will need Goff to shake off his worst performance of the
year and play more like he did against Chicago in Week 2 if they're
going to end the season on a winning note.
The four-time Pro Bowler set season highs with two interceptions and
three fumbles and matched one by getting sacked five times last
week. But in the first meeting with the Bears, he dominated. Goff
threw for 334 yards and matched a career best with five touchdown
passes, including three scores to Amon-Ra St. Brown. It's the only
division win for the Lions, who are 1-4 against the NFC North.
On the line
Detroit has been hit by its share of injuries, particularly on an
offensive line that came in with two new guards after moving Graham
Glasgow to center.
Rookie Tate Ratledge took over at right guard, while injuries have
forced a rotation at left guard. Glasgow, meanwhile, has been
dealing with a knee injury. He missed the game against Pittsburgh
two weeks ago and was relegated to two special teams snaps last
week, with rookie Kingsley Eguakun making his second straight start
at center. Left tackle Taylor Decker, who will mull retirement in
the offseason, is expected to start after missing last week’s game
due to illness.
Coach Dan Campbell wants the line to finish the season with a strong
showing.
“See if we can polish some things up, work together, work our
combinations — just a little bit,’’ he said.
The takeaway
The Bears have been the best in the NFL at taking the ball away —
and hanging onto it.
Chicago leads the NFL in interceptions (22), takeaways (32) and
turnover differential (plus-22). The Bears have also committed a
league-low 10 turnovers. Williams has 23 games without an
interception, something no other starting NFL quarterback has done
in their first two seasons.
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