1 mistake Bears simply must avoid in Wild Card showdown vs. Packers

The Chicago Bears have scored only 3 points in the first half of two games against the Green Bay Packers and need to avoid another slow start Saturday night.

Caleb Williams | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The wild, dramatic finishes are great, but wouldn't it be nice for a change for the Chicago Bears to play from ahead?

One of the keys to Saturday night's Wild Card playoff showdown vs. the Green Bay Packers is how the Bears start the game. Perplexing to both head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears have notoriously stumbled out of the gate all season.

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Especially against the Packers. In the two regular-season meetings the Bears never led during regulation, winning the second game only on Williams' walk-off touchdown pass to DJ Moore in overtime. At Lambeau Field, Chicago trailed 14-3 at halftime. Two weeks later they were down, 6-0, at the break.

In the two game against the Packers the Bears have had eight possessions in the first half: 6 punts. 1 turnover on downs. 1 field goal.

"The biggest thing with us playing complementary football is us getting out to that fast start," offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said this week. "Having urgency right from the first snap and being able to go out and execute the plan, execute the openers and be able to go put points on the board."

The slow starts have been a troubling trend all season, mostly camouflaged by the wild comeback wins. Chicago won six games after trailing in the final two minutes, the most in the NFL since 1970. That's great for the highlight reel, but it's not a sustainable blueprint for winning playoff games.

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The slow starts finally caught up to them in losses to San Francisco and Detroit to close the regular season. In the past three games the Bears have run 66 fewer plays and been outscored, 47-21, in the first half.

Saturday's game won't be decided by halftime. But the narrative will already be established.

Austin Booker | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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