Packers most to blame for Week 18 loss to Bears
01/05/2025 10:38 PM
Ending the regular season with a loss wasn’t part of the Green Bay Packers’ plan. For one, they were still in contention for a possible sixth-seed finish ahead of Week 18. Secondly, they faced the Chicago Bears at home, and anyone with even a small ounce of football history knows what that entails.
Unfortunately for Lambeau Field spectators, the Packers lost on Sunday, 24-22. Courtesy of a walk-off field goal, the Bears ended an 11-game losing streak to their rivals — one that began back in 2019. What’s even worse is how the Packers lost two key players to injuries. “Key” might be an understatement here, because one of them was Jordan Love. The quarterback hurt his throwing elbow in the first half and didn’t return for the rest of the game. Thankfully for Green Bay, Love wasn’t ruled out. He was seen throwing on the sidelines while backup Malik Willis took over under center. However, the same can’t be said for receiver Christian Watson, who was carted off the field after hurting his knee during a route run.
The loss officially gives the 11-6 Packers the seventh seed, meaning they’ll face the number two seed Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Cards. To be fair, a win wouldn’t have changed their placement either way, considering how the Washington Commanders also came out victorious on Sunday. Still, losing to one’s archnemesis at home doesn’t feel good, so there’s that. Now, it’s time to point out what exactly went wrong for the Packers during the game.
The Packers hurt themselves with a lack of ball security
The Packers committed four fumbles on Sunday. While only two of them resulted in a loss of possession, both were still costly. One happened near the end of the first quarter, as Green Bay trailed 7-3. The Packers had a 1st-and-long at their 27-yard line, and they decided to utilize Jayden Reed. Whether it was caused by Jaylon Johnson’s swipe or the tackle by Tremaine Edmunds, Reed lost the ball and it was recovered by Bears safety Jonathan Owens, who managed to reach the Green Bay 21. In the ensuing drive, Chicago was able to score a touchdown to put themselves up double digits.
The other turnover occurred in the third quarter when the Packers were down by just one point. Malik Willis was sacked in the pocket by safety Kevin Byard, causing the ball to come loose. The Bears recovered, ending a drive that still had multiple downs remaining while the Packers were already in Chicago’s 32-yard line. Thankfully for Green Bay, the ensuing possession ended with the Bears punting. Nevertheless, giving up the football while trailing with such a small margin undoubtedly hurts, and could be viewed as a missed opportunity considering how close the Packers were to the red zone.
Speaking of ball security (or the lack of), Willis’ incomplete pass for extra points also comes to mind. With 4:28 remaining in the game, the Packers scored a touchdown, cutting the lead down two points. As expected, they tried going for a two-point conversion, but the ball slipped from Willis’ hand when he attempted to pass, resulting in an incompletion. With how tight the game was, one can only imagine what kind of difference those two points could have made.
There were also other self-inflicted wounds, such as third-down struggles (3-of-10 on third-down conversions) and falling for a Chicago trick play that resulted in a 94-yard punt return TD. If the Packers want to pull off an upset during the Wild Cards, there’s no room for these, especially considering who they’ll face.
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