It has been a forgettable season for the Chicago Bears. Getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and drafting potential superstar Caleb Williams hasn’t gone according to plan. While many were expecting the team to make the playoffs, a 4-2 start has disintegrated into a 4-12 season.
But, after losing 10 straight, the Bears want to end their season on a high note. As a result, against a divisional opponent in the Green Bay Packers, they came out of the game strong, earning their first lead in six weeks in an entertaining fashion.
Bears Pull Off Must-Watch Trick Play To Score Punt Return TD
Despite the season effectively being over, the Bears want to compete until the final snap of Week 18. Essentially playing all of their starters, they did not want to end the year losing 11 straight.
From the opening kickoff, it was clear that they were going for it. After forcing the Green Bay Packers to punt on their first possession, they held firm a second time.
On the second punt, this time to the Chicago 6-yard line, Josh Blackwell lay in wait. However, Chicago’s blockers acted like the ball was going to the opposite side of the field, fooling the Packers.
Blackwell caught the football on the far end of the field and had a straight line to the end zone. This is similar to a trick play that the Bears used to run during the Devin Hester Era, and it worked again in Week 18, resulting in a touchdown.
This trick play punt return TD gave the Bears their first lead in a game since Week 12. 👀pic.twitter.com/NH8xvyfQGN
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) January 5, 2025
According to Next Gen Stats, the 138.3 yards he traveled from snap to score was the most distance by anyone on a touchdown since Week 4 in 2019, when Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland returned a 100-yard fumble, totaling 141 total yards.
The cornerback has been key to Chicago having one of the better defenses in the league (14th according to PFN’s Defense+ Rankings). But on this play, he made a name for himself for his punt return talents.
For a Bears team that has struggled throughout the year, this might be the glimmer of hope they needed and a sign of things to come for next season.