With just two seconds on the clock and the Bears trailing the rival Packers 22-21 Sunday at Lambeau Field, Cairo Santos lined up from 51 yards out, awaiting the snap for a game-winning field goal opportunity.

It was a moment that Santos had built up in his head for weeks — seven to be exact — ever since the Bears fell to the Packers at home on a blocked field goal as time expired.

The veteran kicker wanted redemption, and he wanted it against the same team on their home turf in the season finale. He discussed that type of opportunity with special teams coach Richard Hightower during game prep last week. Santos even prayed for a moment to kick a game-winner at Lambeau with his wife and mom over the weekend.

With the chance at a win in front of him, Santos eyed the uprights with nothing but confidence and his adrenaline flowing before nailing the 51-yarder to secure a 24-22 victory.

"It's all glory to God in my perspective to have that happen with everything I had gone through the weeks [leading up to] that," Santos said. "It gave me strength to be ready for a moment like this. I was super confident.

"For us to finish the game, the season like that, we're a resilient team that has fought throughout every game. At times, it didn't seem like we were in games, but no one stopped fighting. To learn how to win, especially at a tough place like this against a team that plays really hard against us, we play hard against them. It means a lot for the growth of our players."

As soon as the officials signaled the kick was good, Santos took off running. He sprinted around the field celebrating as the rest of the team chased him down and swarmed him to cap their first win at Lambeau Field since 2015.

It was a release of emotion for Santos after overcoming all the obstacles he faced in that moment— the frigid wind chills, the pressure of the game-deciding scenario and the hostile environment of a divisional foe.

"I just wanted to let my emotions out," Santos said. "A lot of it was leading up all these weeks from the first time we played them. I just let it out. The soccer celebration, my normal celebration — last game of the season, so I just let it out."

The Bears' postgame celebration allowed the entire team to not only congratulate Santos but let out their own emotions.

"It was amazing," receiver DJ Moore said. "All the belief in Cairo to make that. When he hit it, I think I just ran to the field like a fool."

"Aw man, it was so crazy," safety Kevin Byard III said. "You're kind of just thinking about the last time and you're just hoping it goes in. … Like I said, [Cairo] is a slit your throat kind of guy. That's what he did today."

While Santos sealed the deal, his moment of redemption was made possible by the late-game heroics of quarterback Caleb Williams, who led the Bears 47 yards in just 54 seconds Sunday afternoon to mark the rookie's first career game-winning drive.

"We practice it all the time," Williams said. "Throughout this season, I know there's been times where we marched down the field in two minutes over and over again. Whether we put ourselves in position for field goals or put ourselves in positions to score, we've done it I'd say four or five times this season.

"Being able to do it this way, being able to end the season off the right way, being able to have the first win of 2025 against Green Bay on a two-minute drive — couldn't ask for it any other way."

After starting the drive at the Chicago 20, Williams drew a horse collar tackle penalty on the first play to set up a new set of downs at the 35-yard line. He rifled a 15-yard pass to Rome Odunze, who made a beautiful catch along the sideline, to reach the 50 before adding four more yards on a scramble.

While an incompletion and offensive penalty set up third-and-11 from the Chicago 49, Williams remained steady. He called a play in the huddle before Green Bay used a timeout, which allowed him to regroup, get on the same page as his receivers and ultimately, set up the game-winner with an 18-yard dart to Moore over the middle.

"I see why they called a timeout — they had DJ 1-on-1 with no over the top help, so that's probably not the position you want to be in at the end of the game," Williams said. "They call a timeout, and I tell DJ in the huddle, 'if they press you like that again, you'll run a vertical go ball. If they get outside leverage, we'll run a glance or five-step and snap it off.'

"He just made sure that we were on the same page so we could go and execute. After I told DJ that, [I] told everyone it was 'down-down clock' and once DJ catches it, we'll have to run up there, clock it and put it through the uprights. That's what happened."

While Williams felt the thrill of a game-winner for the first time in his rookie season, the No. 1 overall pick has had no shortage of fourth-quarter success this year.

Following Sunday's game, interim head coach Thomas Brown reflected on Williams' impressive ability to play his best with the game on the line.

In the Bears' first contest versus Green Bay, Williams strung together a pair of third- and fourth-down completions that put the team in scoring position. The rookie flashed similar moments against the Vikings at home and in Detroit on Thanksgiving.

"He's got a killer instinct," Brown said. "He's really probably better in those moments than he is on normal down and distances, which is, there's a gap to be bridged when it comes to that. … I think there's something to be said when it comes to critical moments and not panicking, and not giving up, and trying to find ways to win games.

"… I think there's been multiple opportunities that he's proved that he's far and away going to be a franchise quarterback. A lot of room for growth and improvement for sure, but he thrives in those moments."

Ending the season with a win in Green Bay was a surreal moment not only for Williams, but the entire Bears locker room — a group that remained close with one another throughout the season.

While the players already have their sights set on improving in the offseason and coming back stronger for the 2025 season, beating their rival to start the new year elicited plenty of emotions.

"Pure joy and excitement, and it's cool to end this year this way," tight end Cole Kmet said. "I know this has been a long season and a lot of ups and downs, but I mean, look, that's still a good team there and we were able to beat them. I know that there wasn't necessarily anything to play for for us, but, I think everyone's kind of embodied this rivalry and what it means to the organization. It was cool to get a win and pull it out here at the end."