What the Heck Happened on the Final Play of Week 17? ...Middle East

Caleb Williams almost pulled another rabbit out of his hat in Week 17. And while it could be easy to point fingers or play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game with the final play of the Week 17 thriller between the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football, it was Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson who pointed the finger inward when discussing what happened on that fateful play.

“We didn’t quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to,” Johnson said via the Bears’ official website. “It’s on me. I didn’t get [Williams] the call fast enough, and so he’s trying to piecemeal it together.”

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Ben Johnson continues to be a breath of fresh air. Last year’s Bears coaching staff preached the importance accountability, but never acted on it. Instead, what we saw was a bunch of finger-pointing and an ample dosage of the blame game. Then, days later, there would be some reflection and a feigning attempt at accountability. But by that point, it was evident that the words were empty.

Ben Johnson Takes the Blame For What Happened on the Final Play of Week 17

Let’s take one last look at the play Ben Johnson is referring to:

Wild ending to an incredible game. pic.twitter.com/Xe6pJkBfEa

The Sky Cam angle of the final Bears + 49ers play. ? pic.twitter.com/Itxpffca0P

There is a lot going on here. Not only were the Bears not lined up correctly, there wasn’t much time to fix it and the team Ben Johnson was out of timeouts. It all led to quarterback Caleb Williams trying to make something out of nothing. And he almost did, which feels like a testament to the team’s resilience and the quarterback’s creativity on the fly. Plus, it serves as a reminder of why teams practice scramble drills as much as they do. You just never know when those instincts need to kick in at an important moment of the game.

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I hope people don’t obsess over this play because you’ll put yourself at risk of paralysis by analysis. It is a dangerous game to play. And, frankly, it isn’t worth playing. If you watch it enough times, you might see DJ Moore open 40 yards away on the otherside of the field and overthink it. Don’t do that to yourself.

You might also watch it enough times and wonder why running back D’Andre Swift didn’t get the ball in the split second he was open. Don’t do that either. Hindsight being what it is, the Bears’ best chance (all things considered) might have been to get it out to Swift in the flat quickly and hopes he breaks a tackle. But every time I re-watch the play, I find myself not loving the numbers game.

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And, hey, credit Niners players for making an adjustment during the play. An in-play audible by a pair of San Francisco 49ers defenders might have been the difference between winning and losing:

Pretty crazy that the final play call was initially a four man pressure and it turned into two with nine in coverage. It confused the Bears offensive line enough that Bryce Huff was free. Pretty interesting stuff. pic.twitter.com/gjjjLfDpxr

In the end, I am glad to have a better understanding of why things ended the way they did in Week 17. It was a whale of a game. And even though it didn’t go Chicago’s way, Ben Johnson’s play calls and designs (as well as the execution of those plays) gave the Bears a fighting chance to topple the 49ers. I hope this team learns from it, moves on, and applies what they’ve learned in future game situations. The NFL doesn’t throw pity parties for moral victories. And with the Detroit Lions coming to town, there is no rest for the weary.

Hence then, the article about what the heck happened on the final play of week 17 was published today ( Monday 29/12/2025 - 11:28 PM ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

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