Packers get a delightfully funny twist that puts them past the Bears in a tight NFC North race
Green Bay beats Chicago 28-21 to take the lead in the NFC North.
Think about how this game could have ended. The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 28-21 at Lambeau Field, moving to first place in the NFC North. It was down to the wire. You could expect game-winning plays from Jordan Love, Christian Watson, or Micah Parsons.
Of all the possible ways this game could have ended, though, a Keisean Nixon interception of Caleb Williams in the end zone is probably the most unlikely one — but that’s just life in the NFL, even after Nixon had two drive-changing unnecessary penalties in the second quarter.
After so much offseason talk, Ben Johnson is not sweeping Matt LaFleur this time around.
Defense made just enough plays
The defense was truly bend-sometimes-break in this game. In today’s NFL, you don’t necessarily have to be an elite run defense. But after years of suffering with Dom Capers, Mike Pettine, and Joe Barry, it’s refreshing to have Jeff Hafley structuring the unit.
Even without run-stuffing defensive linemen, the scheme allows the guys to occupy space, and the support from the second level is highly effective — that’s true for all the linebackers, but also when safety Evan Williams gets in the box. However, things changed in the second half, when the unit was clearly gassed.
There should have been some hold calls on Parsons, probably, but it wasn’t a good performance for the unit after halftime. It was hard to sack Williams at all, given his impressive elusiveness, but a last-play interception decided the game.
Efficiency through the air
The Packers had a bad two-play sequence when Jordan Love lost significant yards on a sack and tried to compensate for that on a third-and-17 and threw an interception. Outside of those two plays, though, the first half was crisp and efficient in the passing game. That included a beautiful backfoot throw to Christian Watson and a 45-yard bomb to converted-to-cornerback-but-playing-wide-receiver Bo Melton for two touchdowns before the half. And that’s not including a big play to Luke Musgrave that was overturned as an incomplete pass.
Overall, the Packers tried to be balanced against a two-high defense, but the run game wasn’t explosive even against light boxes. So Matt LaFleur gave Love more opportunities to throw deep, and the pass protection held long enough to allow those plays to be successful.
When the game got a little wonky to start the second half, the talented pieces appeared again. Love found Christian Watson on a slant, and the explosive wide receiver ran to the end zone — that looked like an easy touchdown for Watson, but just because he has insane speed.
The Packers failed to run the ball consistently, and that’s one of the reasons the defense was so tired towards the end of the matchup. Nonetheless, a big final drive to score a touchdown with Josh Jacobs was impactful in killing the clock, putting up points on the board, and allowing the defense to breathe just a little bit.
NFC North race
With the win, the Packers are in first place in the NFC North, with a 4-0 division record and 9-3-1 overall. Meanwhile, the Bears drop to 9-4, but they host the Packers in two weeks with a chance to split the series.
It’s a huge win for the Packers, putting them in a great position to get a playoff spot and with a significant advantage to win the NFC North for the first time since 2021; however, there’s no margin for error with these teams playing at such a similar level.
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