Caleb Williams breaks Bears single-season passing record in loss to Lions

CHICAGO (AP) — Forget about that franchise passing record for Caleb Williams.

The Chicago Bears have bigger issues at the moment.

Williams rallied Chicago once again Sunday, but the Bears went three-and-out on their final possession and Jared Goff drove Detroit to Jake Bates' 42-yard field goal on the final play of the Lions' 19-16 victory. Williams passed for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Chicago (11-6) clinched the No. 2 seed for the NFC playoffs when Philadelphia lost 24-17 to Washington. But the NFC North champions head into the postseason on a two-game losing streak.

“We’ve got to find ways to be better,” Williams said. “The focus has to level up, the urgency has to level up, the play has to level up, the mindset mentality on the field has to level up because that’s what playoff football really is.”

Next up for Chicago is a rematch with Green Bay in the Bears' first playoff appearance since the 2020 season. The longtime rivals split their two regular-season meetings, with Williams throwing a game-ending touchdown pass to DJ Moore in a 22-16 overtime win at Soldier Field on Dec. 20.

“I think we’re fairly evenly matched,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for how well they’re coached. I have a lot of respect for the talent level that they have in that building and I’d expect it to be another exciting game.”

The 24-year-old Williams began Week 18 with 3,730 yards passing, 108 shy of matching Erik Kramer’s franchise record in 16 games in 1995. But the Bears got off to a slow start and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft had just 45 yards at halftime.

Williams moved ahead of Kramer on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jahdae Walker early in the fourth, delighting the crowd of 57,036. Asked about the franchise record, Williams made it clear that he was focused on the final score.

"Need to win the game. Didn’t want to leave it up to another team to put us in the seeding that we want to be in," he said. “I don’t know what the case happened with that game but we didn’t execute the way we needed to and so that number is the number and so be it.”

Williams finished 20 for 33 for 212 yards, falling just shy of becoming the franchise's first 4,000-yard passer. He also threw an interception in the third quarter.

Williams had a chance for another dramatic victory after Kevin Byard picked off Goff with 2:11 left. But he was called for intentional grounding on second down and Johnson decided to punt on fourth-and-5 at the 31.

“Because we had three timeouts, and we felt like we were going to get the ball back," Johnson said when asked about the decision.

Now Williams and Johnson take the Bears into the playoffs in their first season together after Johnson was hired in January. They have proven to be quite the tandem so far, with Williams passing for 27 touchdowns.

“We’re going into a new season,” Williams said. "You can’t dwell on the past, but you have to find ways to correct what you did in the past and through the losses.”

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to hand the ball off during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs onto the field during player introductions before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams warms up before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) directs teammates during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced the head of Ukraine’s security service Monday, continuing a top-level reshuffle ahead of a trip to Paris where he hoped to finalize agreements with allies on how to ensure that Russia doesn’t repeat its invasion if a peace agreement is signed.

Zelenskyy is trying to revamp his administration as the grinding war of attrition with Russia marks its fourth anniversary next month. He is keen to keep up the momentum of U.S.-led peace talks as well as sharpen Ukraine’s focus on defense if those efforts collapse.

The Paris talks are expected to include the leaders of about 30 countries, dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing,” which are ready to provide security guarantees to keep Ukraine safe in the future.

Key issues include whether countries are prepared to deploy troops inside or close to Ukraine and what the remit of any force overseeing a ceasefire might be. Russia has said it won’t accept troops from NATO countries on Ukrainian soil.

Zelenskyy also announced the appointment of Canada’s former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as Ukraine’s economic development adviser, describing her as an expert on the issues with “significant experience in attracting investment and carrying out economic transformations.”

Amid Ukraine’s biggest top-level reshuffle in about six months, Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Security Service, or SBU, announced his resignation on the agency’s website.

Zelenskyy published a decree on the presidential website appointing Ievhen Khmara, former head of the “A” Special Operations Center of the Security Service, as the agency’s acting head.

Under Maliuk, the SBU produced some stunning successes against Russia, including Operation Spiderweb, which Ukraine said damaged or destroyed 41 Russian military aircraft in coordinated strikes on four air bases.

On Friday, Zelenskyy appointed the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence as his new chief of staff.

Announcing the appointment of Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs to focus on security issues, developing its defense and security forces, and peace talks — areas that are overseen by the office of the president.

Zelenskyy also is looking to strengthen the war-battered economy, including through projects in partnership with the U.S. and other countries. Freeland, who is of Ukrainian heritage and is a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is a former journalist and Canadian lawmaker.

Besides being a former deputy prime minister, she also served as Canada’s minister of international trade, foreign minister and finance minister, and helped negotiate trade agreements with both Europe and the U.S.

The Harvard University graduate has served as Canada’s special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine — a position outside the Cabinet — in addition to her responsibilities as a lawmaker.

In his New Year’s address, Zelenskyy said a proposed U.S.-brokered peace deal was “90% ready” but warned that the remaining 10%, believed to include issues such as the future of disputed territory, would determine the outcome of the push for peace.

Moscow hasn't been forthcoming about details of the negotiations. Officials have, however, restated Russia's demands and insist there can be no ceasefire until a comprehensive settlement is agreed.

The fighting has not subsided along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line that snakes along southern and eastern Ukraine.

An overnight Russian drone strike at a private clinic in Kyiv’s Obolon district killed a 30-year-old old patient and injured three others, the capital’s prosecutor’s office said Monday.

Energy workers and repair crews worked across the country after Russian drones damaged energy infrastructure, causing more power disruptions for civilians in the bitter winter, Zelenskyy said. Russia fired nine ballistic missiles and 165 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight, the air force said Monday.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an industrial facility in Yelets, in Russia’s western Lipetsk region, according to regional Gov. Igor Artamonov. There were no casualties, he said.

The Russian airports of Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod and Yaroslavl briefly suspended flights because of Ukrainian drone attacks, authorities said.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing another 50 Ukrainian drones later Monday over the Belgorod, Kursk and Lipetsk regions.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Medical workers remove the debris in a damaged private clinic after, according to Ukrainian officials, a Russian drone hit a hospital room killing a patient, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Jan 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Medical workers remove the debris in a damaged private clinic after, according to Ukrainian officials, a Russian drone hit a hospital room killing a patient, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Jan 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A damaged private clinic is seen after, according to Ukrainian officials, a Russian air attack when a drone hit a hospital room killing a patient, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Jan 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Medical workers remove the debris in a damaged private clinic after, according to Ukrainian officials, a Russian drone hit a hospital room killing a patient, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Jan 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Medical workers remove the debris in a damaged private clinic after, according to Ukrainian officials, a Russian drone hit a hospital room killing a patient, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Jan 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)