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Bears, Caleb Williams may regret missed wide-open throw on final drive vs. 49ers
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Bears, Caleb Williams may regret missed wide-open throw on final drive vs. 49ers

By Samuel Stubbs  |  Last updated Dec 29, 2025 1:50 AM ET

The Chicago Bears lost a heartbreaking game to the San Francisco 49ers on a game-ending incomplete pass from the two-yard line, but there was a play earlier on Chicago's final march down the field that the Bears could rue forever. 

On second-and-five from the San Francisco 26-yard-line with 40 seconds to go, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was forced to roll to his right due to heavy pressure from the 49ers' defensive line. 

But as he scrambled, wide receiver Devin Duvernay appeared to be wide open on the right side of the field. 

Williams threw the ball in the direction of Duvernay, but failed to get enough on the ball. His pass skipped harmlessly on the ground. 

What could've been

Had Duvernay caught the ball, he had plenty of running room. NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico noted that Duvernay, a speedy threat at the receiver position, could've even scored the go-ahead touchdown on the play. 

Even if Duvernay hadn't scored, he certainly could've put Chicago in a position to have more opportunities to score rather than having to continue to march down the field. 

Williams played great on Sunday night, but the gut-wrenching loss — and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff race — might've gone the other way had he just been able to complete the pass to Duvernay earlier on the final drive of the game. 

Samuel Stubbs
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Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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