It was a block party as the Packers defeat the Bears once again
The Packers improved to 7-3 on the season after their thrilling 20-19 victory over the Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Packers got the ball first after the Bears won the coin toss and deferred. The offense marched down the field for a touchdown and the Bears answered with a field goal. The Bears would score their first touchdown in 3 games right before halftime and take a 10-7 lead. The lead changed hands 3 different times in the 2nd half, and while the Packers had a 1-point lead, the Bears drove close enough for a 46-yard attempt to win the game, but Karl Brooks blocked the attempt, giving the Packers the victory.
Thoughts about this win:
The opening possession for the Packers was a thing of beauty. Josh Jacobs made some great runs and Emmanuel Wilson even carried the ball once for 13 yards. The Packers quickly lined up on offense as the Bears had too many men on the field and also jumped offsides, giving Jordan Love a free play, which resulted in a 15-yard TD pass to Jayden Reed.
With a 7-3 lead, the Packers were threatening again in the 2nd quarter, but on 2nd and 1 from the 5-yard line, a penalty flag for an ineligible man downfield really hurt them as Reed lost 5 yards on a carry, and Love’s pass was overthrown and intercepted. The Bears broke their long TD drought right before halftime.
Christian Watson made some incredible catches, 4 for 150 yards. None was bigger than the 60-yard reception where he made a diving catch and had the awareness to get up and run, bringing the ball all the way to the 14-yard line. Love would carry the ball twice, falling just short of the goal line on his 1st carry but finding his way in on his next rushing attempt. That would put them ahead to stay.
The Packers started out great on defense when the Bears got the ball for the final time, sacking Caleb Williams twice, setting up a 3rd and 19. Unfortunately, Williams avoided another sack and completed his pass for 16 yards and then converted on 4th and 3. Another pass and a short run set them up for a winning FG attempt by Cairo Santos, but Brooks got enough of the ball to send it way short and the Packers have now won 11 straight games in the series.
Despite the win, there were a lot of areas the Packers need to improve moving forward. After a disaster of a performance by the Bears’ offense in their previous game vs New England, they changed offensive coordinators and Caleb Williams looked like a totally different quarterback. He hurt the Packers both with his arm and with his legs. The Bears were a perfect 3 of 3 on 4th down conversions. The Packers had them in 3rd and 19 and couldn’t close the door. They could have easily lost this game.
The Packers’ offense had some great drives, but 2 of their trips into the red zone ended in 0 points. Matt LaFleur admitted he should have kept running the ball on that 2nd and 1 play from the 5-yard line. Instead that penalty was the beginning of a painful end to that drive as it ended in an interception. In the 4th quarter, the Packers had 4th and goal at the 6, but all Love could do was scramble and try to get in himself, and he was stopped short. Had the Packers lost, these missed opportunities would have gotten a lot of the attention.
Special Teams Coordinator Rich Bisaccia studied the Bears’ kicking game and challenged his players to get a block on a field goal or extra point attempt. It all paid off when Karl Brooks made the block to save the game. You have to go back to 1939 in a 7-6 win vs the Cleveland Rams and Cleveland Municipal Stadium to find the last time the Packers blocked a field-goal attempt on the final play of the game to secure the victory.
Despite the fact that the Packers really had to sweat it out to get this win, it’s the 11th straight time the Packers have defeated the Bears, breaking a tie of 10 straight that the Packers won in the 1990s. The Packers lead the all-time series 108-95-6.
These teams will meet again during the final week of the regular season in Lambeau Field. The Bears likely will be eliminated from playoff contention by then and the Packers will hopefully either have clinched a spot in the playoffs or will have an opportunity with a win.
Next up for the Packers is a home game vs the 49ers next Sunday in the late afternoon. The 49ers might need the win because they likely can’t afford too many more losses, but this is the team that stood in the Packers’ way as they lost 5 straight playoff games to SF. They will need to play a lot better than how they played against the Bears in order to get this win.
For now, it’s another win for the Packers vs their bitter rivals. I want this domination to keep going and going. Have a great week Packer fans!
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackersFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
