The Positives, Negatives, and Disappointments from the Packers' Defeat against the Bears
The Positives, Negatives, and Disappointments from the Packers' Defeat against the Bears
The Streak has been snapped.
The Green Bay Packers had won 11 consecutive games against their arch-nemesis, the Chicago Bears, a streak that began in 1921. The Bears last victory in this rivalry came on December 16, 2018.
However, the Bears managed to break Green Bay's dominance on Sunday, taking over Lambeau Field and defeating the Packers 24-22. Bears' kicker Cairo Santos sealed the deal with a 51-yard field goal as time expired.
Before this loss, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur had an unblemished record of 11-0 against the Bears. The Packers entered the game as 10-point favorites.
"It's just sick," Packers right guard Sean Rhyan expressed. "Losing to these (expletive) guys right before the playoffs, it's a kick in the gut. We've got to move on. That's all we can do."
The Packers suffered their second consecutive loss, finished the regular season with a record of 11-6, and secured the seventh seed in the NFC. They will now face second-seeded Philadelphia (14-3) in a wild card game on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
The Packers also ended up with a dismal 1-5 record in the NFC North, their worst divisional mark since 2005.
Let's delve into the positives, negatives, and downright ugly aspects of the Packers' loss.
THE UGLY
LATE GAME ERRORS: Packers coach Matt LaFleur made a critical clock management error in the final minute. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley then played prevent defense at the worst possible time.
These blunders set the stage for Chicago's last-second victory.
First, LaFleur couldn't decide whether to go for it on fourth-and-4 from Chicago's 37-yard line or attempt a field goal. He took a timeout with 58 seconds left.
LaFleur eventually opted for the field goal, and Brandon McManus drilled a 55-yarder, giving Green Bay a brief 22-21 lead. If LaFleur hadn't used a timeout, the clock would have gone under 25 seconds.
"At the end of the game, that's squarely on me," LaFleur admitted. "I just got caught in a situation where we were planning on going for it. They felt like Brandon could make that field goal. Hindsight is 20/20, and I wish I hadn't taken the timeout because it gave them way too much time to go down and operate. I told the team, that's on me - it can't happen."
Green Bay still seemed in control, as Chicago was out of timeouts and faced a third-and-11 from their own 49 with 15 seconds left. But Hafley played soft, and D.J. Moore caught an 18-yard pass in front of Carrington Valentine.
Chicago rushed to the line of scrimmage, quarterback Caleb Williams spiked the ball with 2 seconds left, and Santos hit the game-winning kick as time expired.
"It sucks, but it's not just that one play," Valentine said. "It's a series of things that happened throughout the game. It looks like it's just that one play from the outside, but if you go back and watch the game, it will be a string of things."
TRICK PLAY: The Bears scored their first touchdown through a clever trick play.
Chicago's D.J. Moore faked as if he was about to catch the punt, and several Packers went in his direction. But Josh Blackwell fielded the ball in the right corner, picked up a convoy, and went virtually untouched down the sideline.
"Sometimes it doesn't work out the way you want," Green Bay punter Daniel Whelan said. "So, I feel like we have to have better communication between me and everybody else."
Amazingly, the Bears ran a similar play against the Packers 14 seasons ago, which Johnny Knox returned for a touchdown, but the play was nullified by a penalty.
"I've got to do a better job to yell or something, or just hit it middle," Whelan said. "I put the blame on me."
INJURY WOES: Quarterback Jordan Love (elbow) and wideout Christian Watson (knee) were lost to injuries in the second quarter and didn't return.
Love injured his elbow when he fell awkwardly to the ground.
"I landed on it, on the ground, I think, and just lost pretty much all feeling in my hand," Love said. "It pretty much just went numb. Same thing after halftime. I came back, was trying to get some throws, and the same thing. It was outside of my hand and pinkie, couldn't feel it, was pretty numb. We just made the decision to hold me back."
Love said he was told the numbness should go away. And when asked if he thought he had a chance to play against Philadelphia, he said, "Yes."
Watson's injury prognosis wasn't as promising.
Watson ran a stutter step near midfield, his knee gave out without being touched, then he collapsed to the Lambeau Field turf. Watson was carted to the locker room, and it seems unlikely he'll play against the Eagles next week.
"I'm not super confident about that right now," LaFleur said when asked about the severity of Watson's knee injury.
WHY REED?: Jayden Reed has served as the Packers' top wide receiver over the past two seasons. Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur enjoys utilizing Reed in the run game as well, but it ended up costing them in their recent game.
Reed fumbled after a 4-yard gain late in the first quarter, and former Packers safety Jonathan Owens recovered at Green Bay's 21. Three plays later, the Bears found themselves in the endzone, taking a 14-3 lead.
The Packers have a talented pool of running backs, and their wide receiver corps is currently dealing with injuries. Using Reed as a running back seems to be a questionable decision at best.
"For me personally, I just need to step up my game overall," Reed stated. "I haven't been playing at my best recently. If we want to progress in the playoffs, that's not how we should be playing. We need to perform better than we did today."
"Protecting the ball is crucial, and it's on me to do better," Reed continued. "I need to improve if I want to be a leader and a successful player in this league."
THE BAD
OOPS!: Long snapper Matt Orzech sent a snap flying over punter Daniel Whelan's head after Green Bay's opening drive. Whelan leaped and almost caught the snap, but it fell to the ground.
Whelan quickly recovered and managed to punt the ball 35 yards, preventing a potentially disastrous situation.
WATCH YOUR HEAD: The Packers trailed, 14-13, with just over half of the third quarter remaining when they were on the verge of taking their first lead of the game. Chicago sent a blitz, with safety Kevin Byard coming at quarterback Malik Willis unnoticed.
Byard crushed Willis, causing the ball to pop loose, and Chicago linebacker T.J. Edwards recovered.
THE GOOD
BRANDON BLESSING: The Packers' kicker has been a blessing in disguise.
Brandon McManus made field goals of 37 and 30 yards, before connecting on a 55-yarder with 54 seconds left, giving the Packers a short-lived 22-21 lead.
McManus is now 20-of-21 on field goal attempts this year (95.2%). This is the second-best percentage in team history, and it moved McManus up to the third-best mark in the NFL.
After enduring the 2023 season with Anders Carlson and the start of 2024 with Brayden Narveson handling kicking duties, McManus has been a consistent source of success for the Packers.
"I'm glad he's here," Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said recently. "He's making us all better all the time, and I believe he has a lot of football left in him."
VALENTINE'S DAY EXTRAVAGANza: Packers second-year safety Carrington Valentine has continued to make big plays.
Valentine intercepted passes in two of Green Bay's last three games, before forcing a fumble from Chicago's D.J. Moore with 1:49 remaining. Valentine recovered the loose ball on Chicago's 43-yard line, setting up a McManus field goal that gave the Packers a 22-21 lead.
"Put your helmet on the ball," Valentine explained. "It's cold outside, so put your helmet on the ball. Hit somebody's hand. I think that's a recipe for dropping the ball."
SHOCK AND AWE: Packers running back Josh Jacobs had a 9-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, setting a new team record by scoring a rushing touchdown in eight consecutive games. Paul Hornung was the previous record holder, with seven straight scoring runs in 1960.
Jacobs became just the fourth player in team history to surpass the 1,300-yard rushing mark (Ahman Green, 2001 and 2003; Jim Taylor, 1961 and 1962; Dorsey Levens, 1997). His 1,329 rushing yards this season rank fifth in single-season team history.
Jacobs also finished the season with 15 rushing touchdowns (tied for No. 3 in team history), 16 total touchdowns (tied for No. 7), and 1,671 yards from scrimmage (No. 6).
"I've enjoyed my time here," Jacobs said. "I'm just trying to leave my mark and my legacy here. I'm gonna continue to keep trying to do that."
X-MARKS THE SPOT: Safety Xavier McKinney notched his eighth interception of the year when the Bears ran a double reverse and wideout Keenan Allen threw a pass right to McKinney.
McKinney's eight interceptions are now tied for second place in the NFL, behind only Detroit safety Kerby Joseph (nine). McKinney's eight interceptions are also the most by a Packer since Charles Woodson had eight in 2009.
"The cool part is, I'm just telling ya, he's getting better and better, and he's young," Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said of McKinney. "I don't even think we've seen what's ahead for him, and I mean that. As a leader, he's grown. As a teammate, he's grown. As a person, he's grown. It's hard in Year 1 in a new place and a new scheme, embracing new coaching.
"I'm so glad that he's here. I just think the best is yet ahead for this guy."
ALEXANDER JAMES: Malik Alexander made an exceptional 41-yard catch during a crucial third-and-21 situation with 5 minutes remaining. Alexander successfully secured his acrobatic grab at the Bears' 21-yard line, which paved the way for Emanuel Thompson's subsequent 21-yard touchdown run, reducing the deficit to 21-19 for the Packers.
Green Bay's 2-point conversion attempt fell short.
"This is what we practice daily," Alexander stated. "It's my routine. I believe that if he throws me the ball, I've got to secure it. That's my mentality. That's the lesson my father instilled in me when I was young."
RICHARDSON SPARKLES: Green Bay's backup quarterback, Malik Richardson, has shone throughout the season, leading the team to victories against Indianapolis, Tennessee, and Jacksonville. Richardson replaced Jordan Love in the second quarter and delivered another strong performance.
Richardson completed 10 out of 13 passes for 136 yards. He didn't notch a touchdown or an interception, but concluded with an impressive 109.8 passer rating.
"I thought Richardson displayed tenacity upon entering the fray," LaFleur noted. "He was resilient and showcased a multitude of positive plays."
NOTABLE POINTS: Green Bay finished the year with 2,496 rushing yards, the second highest total in a single season in the team's history (2,558 yards in 2003). ... Packers coach Matt LaFleur clinched his first challenge win of the season – a 19-yard completion to tight end Luke Musgrave that was initially ruled incomplete. LaFleur's challenge record now stands at 1-6. ... T.J. Slaton disrupted Bears center Coleman Shelton and caused running back Roschon Johnson to lose 4 yards near the end of the first quarter. ... Keisean Nixon tackled running back D'Andre Swift for a 3-yard loss early in the fourth quarter. ... Emanuel Thompson led the team with a career-high 73 rushing yards, while Chris Brooks racked up a season-high 59 rushing yards.
- Christian Watson, the Packers' wide receiver, suffered a knee injury during the game and didn't return, potentially impacting their playoff preparations.
- Caleb Williams, the Bears' quarterback, was instrumental in Chicago's trick play that resulted in their first touchdown of the game.
- Despite the loss, Josh Jacobs managed to set a new team record by scoring a rushing touchdown in eight consecutive games, finishing the season with impressive stats.