Key takeaways from Chicago Bears' crushing Week 14 loss to Packers

The Chicago Bears suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Green Bay Packers, 28-21, at Lambeau Field in Week 14, sending shockwaves through the NFC North and the overall playoff landscape.

The Bears lost hold of first place in the division and are no longer the No. 1 seed in the NFC, putting even more pressure on Week 15's must-win against the Cleveland Browns, who just lost to the Tennessee Titans, and Week 16's rematch against the Packers at Soldier Field.

For now, Chicago can learn a lot from the meltdown on the Frozen Tundra.

Here are the key takeaways from the Bears' Week 14 loss.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to throw — Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Slow starts are never good

The Chicago Bears had a horrendous first half. It was the worst offensive performance of Ben Johnson's play-calling career, and it looked very much like the Bears were setting up to leave Green Bay as a victim of a blowout loss yet again.

Chicago ended the second quarter trailing 14-3 with the Packers receiving the second-half kickoff. But, as this team likes to do for some reason, Caleb Williams and the offense woke up over the final 30 minutes and rallied back to tie the game at 21.

Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. Williams' fourth-down interception on a pass intended for Cole Kmet in the Packers' end zone with 27 seconds left in the game was the final nail in the coffin.

Caleb Williams was Superman again

Was Caleb Williams perfect? No, he wasn't. He completed 19 of 35 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns to go along with the game-ending interception. It's a box score that won't raise fantasy football championship banners, but his performance went way beyond the box score.

One of the best throws I’ve seen Caleb Williams make in the NFL. Holy shit pic.twitter.com/q1Or4Sd48I
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) December 7, 2025

The number of devastating plays that Caleb Williams was able to salvage and turn into positive gains was remarkable.

Caleb Williams with an absolute LASER 🤯pic.twitter.com/9dmXJAYAQm
— PFF (@PFF) December 7, 2025

Sure, Williams' performance will be remembered most for the end-of-game interception. And, it's unfair. He was pretty darn special against one of the NFL's most ferocious defenses.

Bears' running game was clicking again

The Chicago Bears' backfield tandem of D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai were at it again, this time against a top-10 rushing defense.

Swift ended the game with 13 carries for 63 yards, while Monangai added 57 yards on 14 carries. The duo combined for 120 yards, and if the game got off to a closer start, they would've padded those stats quite a bit.

Coverage lapses cost the Bears the game

The Bears' defense is the most culpable for Week 14's loss to the Packers. Christian Watson torched Chicago's secondary for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Bo Melton, who the Packers tried turning into a cornerback, added a 45-yard receiving touchdown. Even Jayden Reed, in his first game back from a collarbone injury, presented a serious challenge for Dennis Allen's defense.

Kyler Gordon was scratched from the lineup after re-injuring his groin in pregame warmups, and the ripple effect on the rest of the defense was obvious. His presence was missing against the run and in coverage. Gordon's ability to rush off the edge was a big loss, too.

Week 14 proved the Bears can beat the Packers

Maybe this is an odd takeaway after a loss, but it's true. The Chicago Bears were the better team in the second half, and you could feel the momentum swing their way as the minutes ticked away.

Unfortunately, they were too far behind to unleash what they do best on offense -- bully defenders between the tackles -- and it forced Ben Johnson into a play-calling situation that this team didn't seem ready for.

The loss of Rome Odunze in the lineup showed up big late in the game, even though Luther Burden III was very solid in his place.

But there's no doubt these Bears will leave Green Bay just as confident as they were when they arrived. And when they welcome them to Soldier Field in two weeks, the outcome could be very different, too.