The Chicago Bears pulled off the comeback of all comebacks on Saturday night.

It seemed like the Bears’ fairytale season would come to a harsh end against their longtime rival, the Green Bay Packers, in their NFL Wild Card matchup at Soldier Field. But Chicago found a way to overcame a terrible start to win 31-27.

All three phases played a role in the thrilling win. Quarterback Caleb Williams led two touchdown drives late after special teams put them in spots to succeed. Meanwhile, the defense came through with key stops to secure the win.

Now the Bears will have to wait to see who’ll they host next weekend in the Divisional round of the playoffs.

Here are the five big takeaways from an unforgettable win.

What a defensive turnaround

Saturday looked like it would be a long night for the Bears defense. Instead, the unit regrouped after halftime and helped the team pull off an epic comeback.

Nothing went right for the Bears defense in the first half. Packers quarterback Jordan Love did whatever he wanted as he faced little pressure and completed big explosive plays to help the Packers score touchdowns on their first three possessions. Green Bay had 231 total yards of offense in the first half while Love threw for 139 yards.

But the Bears defense adjusted in the second half. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen started to force more pressure onto Love and caused the Packers to be confused because of the different looks they were sending compared to the first half.

It paid off. The Bears defense forced four punts to start the second half before Green Bay scored a touchdown. But Chicago stopped Love and the offense from scoring on their final two possessions to secure the win.

“I just think we executed a little bit better,” safety Kevin Byard said. “Sent some pressure. We covered better. Guys made some plays. [Kyler Gordon], [Jaylon Johnson], [Nahshon Wright], just made some plays when we needed to.”

Colston Loveland shines again

Williams moved the ball down the field because he completed on some critical throws late in the game. Many of those throws went to rookie tight end Colston Loveland.

Loveland had another impressive performance by being a key target for Williams on third and fourth down. He made numerous big catches during the two late touchdown drives, including the 2-point conversion catch he made after the first touchdown to make it a three-point game.

It was a career day for Loveland, He finished with a career-best 137 receiving yards on eight receptions. Loveland also led the team with 15 targets, eight more than wide receiver DJ Moore.

Saturday felt like major proof why the Bears drafted him with the first-round pick this season. He was grateful for the opportunity to have his number called in such a big stage.

“I appreciate it, obviously,” Loveland said. “Anytime the balls in the air, I want to make a play. I had a couple drops, which I got to clean up. But yeah, just super blessed to have that trust.”

Where’s the run?

Saturday seemed like a night where the Bears could take control if they could establish the run early like they had many times this season. But the run game never got going.

The Bears didn’t seem intent on getting the run going on their first drive. Chicago ran the ball five times on its opening 16-play drive that resulted in a field goal. Johnson called for one running play and two throws once the Bears got into the red zone.

That lack of production continued for most of the game. Chicago finished with 93 rushing yards, which was its fourth-lowest rushing total for the season. D’Andre Swift finished with 54 rushing yards and ran for a touchdown while rookie Kyle Monangai had 27. The Bears averaged 3.3 yards per carry.

Johnson admitted after the game that the running game got away from the team once they got into a bigger deficit.

“It’s a balancing act as a play caller because I do feel strongly about our running game and the guys up front and our running backs,” Johnson said. “It’s been a big part of our identity on offense.”

Aggressive coaching

Johnson made clear in the first quarter that he’d be aggressive with decision-making in the playoffs.

The first took place on the Bears’ second drive when Johnson decided to go for it on fourth-and-2 from Chicago’s own 38 yard line. Williams completed an 18-yard pass to DJ Moore to pick up the first down. Chicago went for it again on fourth-and-6 from the Packers 40 but Green Bay intercepted Williams.

Johnson became even more aggressive on the Bears’ third possession as it seemed like the defense would struggle to pick up stops. Chicago went for it on fourth-and-5 from its own 32 but Williams’ pass to Luther Burden III was tipped. The Packers went on to score their third straight touchdown on the ensuing drive.

Chicago carried that aggressiveness for much of the game. The Bears converted on two of their six fourth down attempts, none bigger than when Williams hit Rome Odunze late to spark Saturday’s comeback.

None of the decisions led to the Bears losing the game. But it will be interesting to see how Johnson treats the rest of the playoffs when it comes to fourth down.

Spicy edition of the rivalry

Saturday’s game had a little bit more intensity to it other than because it was a playoff game.

It was the third time the two longtime rivals had played against each other in the playoffs. The rivalry was tied at one.

But there was a lot of noise based on the teams’ two previous matchup. Packers players specifically felt like the Bears hadn’t played cleanly in the second game, primarily focusing on Bears defensive end Austin Booker’s hit on Love that resulted in a concussion.

That bad blood led to a little bit of an altercation before the game at midfield as well. Beating the Packers in such a fashion only made Saturday more sweet.

“There was probably bit a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north to start the week, which we heard loud and clear, players and coaches alike,” Johnson said. “This one meant something to us.”