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The Charter: A Chicago Bears Podcast

Bears’ Playoff Run Comes to an End

The Charter: A Chicago Bears Podcast

Chicago Sports Network

Sports, Football, Sports:football

4.4699 Ratings

🗓️ 20 January 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ruthie Polinsky and Clay Harbor have you covered on the roller-coaster finish between the Bears and Rams, starting with Caleb Williams delivering a clutch strike to Cole Kmet to force overtime. In the extra session, however, a costly miscue swings the outcome and sets up the Rams’ victory. They then zoom out to the bigger picture, including a “Wired In” look at Williams’ performance, Ben Johnson’s bold offensive line shuffle that held up under pressure, and a Bears defense that stood tall against a potent Rams attack. The episode wraps with a wide-ranging “What’s Trending” segment, touching on coaching carousel buzz and a quick spin around the league as conference championship storylines come into focus.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome back to the charter podcast, brought to you by St. Xavier University.

0:08.4

I'm Ruthie Polinsky back with Clay Harbor.

0:10.8

And man, where we hoping this was going to be an NFC championship week for the Chicago Bears.

0:20.6

Unfortunately, the magical season came to an end last night at Soldier Field, Clay Harbor.

0:26.2

Not the story we want to be telling today, but obviously so many silver linings to everything

0:32.7

that's happened this season, so many positive ways to look at not just the game last night, but everything

0:38.5

that it means moving forward.

0:40.0

Let's start with the game last night and just sort of unpack sort of what you made of

0:46.1

everything that took place from the beginning to the middle to the end and to the extra

0:52.1

end in overtime.

1:03.9

I know the season's over, and the game ended, the season ended, but to me, this feels like the first chapter of something.

1:09.5

You're reading a good book. You just read a good chapter. It didn't end well the way you wanted it to, but you're going to keep reading.

1:11.3

Because you know, in the end, it's going to be something positive. And I think when you look at this, it looks more like a

1:16.9

beginning than an ending, right? Obviously, it hurts the bears with that close. One playaway if

1:23.8

somehow DJ Moore makes that catch, the bears are at the 50 yard line, a field goal wins

1:28.6

the game, conference championship on the line, obviously interception there. We'll discuss that play

1:33.9

later, but to be that close and lose, obviously hurts. You can be disappointed, but you also have to

1:39.1

be excited with what you've seen from this team because me, the initial disappointment,

1:45.1

I was like upset, a little mad,

1:46.8

like, man, they could have did this, this, and that.

1:48.9

When I took a look back and I looked at it holistically,

1:52.3

got the quarterback, got the coach, good staff.

...

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