How Bears QB Caleb Williams channeled his frustration into a fourth-quarter comeback

Coach Ben Johnson had no issue with quarterback Caleb Williams screaming at teammates out of frustration in the first half of the Bears’ 31-27 playoff victory Saturday against the Packers.

There was plenty to be frustrated about.

‘‘You’ve got to be authentic to yourself when it comes to the game,’’ Johnson said Monday at Halas Hall. ‘‘We all want to do well. We all want to have success. We want our teammates to do well. So that’s a part of it.

‘‘And yet there’s an accountability factor that goes into it, as well. When I turn on the tape and I see a few things — particularly in our passing game — that weren’t the way we had talked about over the course of the week, sometimes you do need to get a little bit fired up just to make sure the point gets across and that we play better going forward.’’

Five plays into the second quarter, the Bears went for it on fourth-and-six from the Packers’ 40. Williams threw the ball directly into the arms of Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine because wide receiver Luther Burden, who had to shift before the snap because he had lined up in the incorrect spot, ran the wrong route.

The interception wasn’t crushing — the Packers started with the ball at their own 13 — but it showed a lack of focus by Burden.

‘‘Us just not doing our job, us not focusing on the details — those types of things that, in these games, you can’t have,’’ Williams said Saturday. ‘‘And so that was the frustrating part. That’s where my frustration and some . . . of me being vocal was coming from, some of the anger and things like that.

‘‘It wasn’t guys out there not giving effort. Just guys not being where they need to be at the right time.’’

In his second season, Williams’ leadership shined through. He gathered his teammates again after the Bears scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to pull to 27-24 with 4:18 left. He told his receivers where he wanted them to be next time the Bears got the ball.

‘‘Obviously, use the frustration,’’ Williams said. ‘‘Communicate with the guys through the frustration. So when the moment comes up, we hit and we show up in those moments so we can go win the game.’’

The Bears won’t win the next one — Sunday against the Rams — if they start out as slowly on offense as they have lately. After being shut out through the first three quarters by the Lions, the Bears were held to six points through three quarters by the Packers before rallying for 25 points in the fourth.

The Bears tried to jump-start the offense by taking the ball after winning the coin toss and drove for a field goal. Amazingly, it was their first score on the opening drive since Nov. 2.

Johnson continues to suspect that Williams shines late in games because the Bears are forced to pass on most downs and he can get into his throwing rhythm faster. But the pre-snap motions the Bears use when they aren’t playing up-tempo make it easier for them to run the ball well.

‘‘It’s a balancing act as a play-caller because I do feel strongly about our running game,’’ Johnson said.

He’ll search for balance this week as the Bears prepare to face the Rams, who allow an average of 3.9 points in the first quarter, tied for the ninth-fewest in the NFL.

‘‘We all want to start faster,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘I know that’s been a theme here over the last two months of the season, it feels like. But we’re going to go back to work here, and it’s something we address, it’s something we correct and it’s something we look to get better from.’’