Bears look to regroup for playoffs after closing regular season with 2 straight losses

CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams was frustrated.

Coach Ben Johnson was, too.

The Chicago Bears finished the regular season with a whimper rather than a roar. But with the team set to make its first playoff appearance since 2020, it's time to put that in the past.

“We’ll make our corrections and we’ll quickly turn the page," Johnson said on Monday. "We don’t have to sulk on what happened yesterday and they understand that. We talked about that at the end of the game. I think we’re going to be good turning the page, but the things that need to get cleaned up, we’re going to clean up.”

The Bears (11-6) closed the regular season with back-to-back losses after falling to Detroit 19-16 on a last-second field goal. The NFC North champions still secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC with Philadelphia losing to Washington and will host Green Bay in the wild-card round on Saturday, a rare playoff game in the NFL's longest-running rivalry.

The Bears and Packers played two down-to-the-wire games in December, with the home team winning each time.

Against Detroit, Chicago hardly resembled the team that went from finishing last in the division a year ago to winning it in Johnson's first season. The Bears were shut out for three quarters and matched a season low by scoring 16 points after putting up their second-highest total in a 42-38 loss at San Francisco.

The bend-but-don't break defense gave up 433 yards after the 49ers went off for 496. That unit finished 29th in the league at 361.8 yards per game.

Detroit never went three-and-out and all but one of its nine possessions ended in Bears territory. The Lions scored on four of their first six drives and might have broken the game open in the early going had they not settled for field goals on three of them. They also had a missed field goal in that span.

It all added up to a frustrating day for the Bears.

Based on the game alone, it's hard to put anything in this category. But for the season, it's hard to ignore the jump the Bears' offense made in Johnson's first season. Chicago went from last in the league in yards per game a year ago to sixth, and from tying for 28th in scoring to ninth.

The Bears had little working for them for three quarters. And even after they got going in the fourth, erasing a 16-0 deficit, they still came up short in the end.

With the game tied and just over two minutes remaining, Kevin Byard made a big play when he picked off a pass at the Chicago 5 for his league-leading seventh interception. The Bears took over at their 26 and immediately went three-and-out. The defense then allowed Detroit to drive to the 24 before Jake Bates kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired.

TE Colston Loveland. The first-round pick from Michigan finished as the Bears' leading receiver, with team highs in receptions (58) and yards (713). He also tied DJ Moore and Rome Odunze for the team lead with six touchdown catches, and he's peaking in time for the playoffs.

Loveland is coming off two of his best games. He had 10 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown against Detroit after catching six passes for 94 yards and a score against San Francisco.

Moore. Moore has gone from a starring role against Green Bay in Week 16 to being a nonfactor the past two games, with a combined two receptions for 18 yards. He was targeted three times against Detroit and had one 11-yard reception, after catching one 7-yard pass against San Francisco. Moore came up huge against the Packers in Week 16 with five receptions for 97 yards, including a spectacular 46-yard TD catch in tight coverage for the overtime win.

Johnson said the Bears hope to have slot CB Kyler Gordon (groin) return to practice this week. They could use him with S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (concussion) after getting hurt on the final drive against Detroit. Gordon has been limited to three games this season and hasn't played since Week 13. ... Odunze (foot) missed the final five regular-season games.

2 — The Bears ended the regular season the way they opened it — with two straight losses — and wound up with the No. 2 seed.

Chicago and Green Bay are meeting for the third time in the postseason. The Packers beat the Bears in the NFC championship game at Soldier Field at the end of the 2010 season on the way to winning the Super Bowl. Chicago beat Green Bay in the 1941 playoffs en route to the championship.

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Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) is tackled by Detroit Lions cornerback Avonte Maddox (29) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson watches from the sideline during the second 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 from Detroit Lions linebacker al-Quadin Muhammad (96) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The world’s largest tech showcase does not come without theatrics. Innovations and gadgets like a lollipop that sings to you as you consume it, a laundry-folding robot and a “smart” LEGO brick have stolen the spotlight so far at CES 2026. But underscoring this year’s programming is a strong focus on an industry that relies on a similar theatrical flair: entertainment.

More than 25 different panels and events related to the entertainment industry are on the schedule in Las Vegas, focusing on both the traditional studio side of the industry and the digital side driven by content creators. The programming has posed questions about the cinematic capabilities of AI, how advertising has been impacted by AI and the role the burgeoning creator economy plays in the larger entertainment landscape.

Artificial intelligence has long been a sticking point in Hollywood, and many creatives in the entertainment world have been reluctant to embrace the rapidly evolving technology and AI-powered tools. Outrage ensued when Tilly Norwood, an entirely AI-made character, debuted as the first “AI actor” in the fall. Questions about copyrighted characters, images and materials still loom large in conversations about AI. But many speakers in CES programming were optimistic about how the technology can be beneficial, and how AI could be used to help artists harness their creativity rather than stifle it or replace it.

“The tools that we create have unlocked something in us. It’s kind of flattened that bar in terms of what storytelling can be because anyone now can be a storyteller,” said Dwayne Koh, the head of creative at Leonardo.ai, during a Monday session on AI and creativity. “It levels the playing field, but it also makes it easier for people to tell stories that they always want(ed) to tell that they never could have the opportunity to tell.”

Others were quick to point out that Hollywood’s panic over emerging technology is not new.

“When we launched Photoshop in the ’90s, we were also getting pretty angry phone calls from creatives saying that we were destroying craft,” said Hannah Elsakr, Adobe’s vice president of generative AI new business ventures, at a Monday session focused on advertising.

“We’re in early days with AI. I’m not advocating for more cats jumping off diving boards in your feeds. I think it’s about high creativity and so the director, the artist, the actor is going to drive the high quality,” Elsakr continued. “Think of AI as another tool in the toolkit to make you drive that forward.”

Many conversations also centered on influencers and the growing legitimacy of internet-native creators and content in the traditional entertainment industry. The efficiency with which these creators work, sometimes because they are using AI-enabled tools, was a prime focus among many speakers.

Brad Haugen, the executive vice president of digital strategy and growth at Lionsgate and 3 Arts, said traditional media companies should welcome opportunities to work with creators and embrace their importance. “We have, potentially, the next great filmmaker, the next great TV showrunner, the next great digital entrepreneur,” he said. “Creators are not just there to market products. They’re not just there to do internet stuff. They’re actually the next Spike Jonze and the next Sofia Coppola.”

More entertainment-related programming is scheduled for Wednesday, with many sessions coming out of Variety’s Entertainment Summit at the showcase, including panels with leaders from Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

In addition to formal programming, a host of entertainment-related products and services are on display at CES. An array of impressive televisions with advanced features, AI-powered smart headphones, a “stringless smart guitar” and even a “sound chair” that has built-in audio were among the innovations aimed at bringing AI and advanced tech to entertainment consumers.

Amazon also announced the rollout of Alexa.com this week, bringing its AI assistant to the web with a host of new features, including personalized movie and TV recommendations. It’s one of many features designed to enhance at-home viewing, including the previously announced feature that enables Alexa to jump to a specific scene you’re searching for with just a simple description.

Angela Gozenput of home appliances and solution marketing and Aaron Westbrook of media entertainment and solution marketing, talk during an LG Electronics news conference ahead of the CES tech show Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

People walk past screens at the LG Electronics booth during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)