Packer Central

Live Updates: Packers Lose to Bears in Playoff Showdown

The Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) are facing the Chicago Bears (11-6) in an NFC wild-card game at Soldier Field. Follow along for updates. 
Bill Huber|
Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson (9) and quarterback Jordan Love (10) react after hooking up on a touchdown pass.
Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson (9) and quarterback Jordan Love (10) react after hooking up on a touchdown pass. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Green Bay Packers

CHICAGO – The Green Bay Packers started fast and stepped on the gas in their NFC wild-card playoff game at the Chicago Bears.

Packers Eliminated by Bears

Brandon McManus Misses Again

Unbelievably, after calling timeout, the Packers were flagged for delay of game, making it third-and-15. Love went deep to Doubs, but the ball led him out of bounds. Brandon McManus missed a 44-yard field goal wide right.

It’s 27-24 with 2:51 to go.

Bears Aren’t Dead

Caleb Williams hit Olamide Zaccheaus for an 8-yard touchdown and unstoppable Colston Loveland for the 2, making it 27-24 with 4:18 remaining.

Williams converted fourth-and-8 with a 27-yard completion to Rome Odunze and third-and-10 with a 22-yard completion to running back Kyle Monangai.

The Packers might need the ensuing drive to win the game.

What a Time for Matthew Golden

Matthew Golden, the team’s first-round pick, hadn’t scored a touchdown all season. Until now. After Romeo Doubs had catches of 9, 22 and 9 yards, the last of those converting third-and-9, Jordan Love fired a pass into the flat to Golden, who broke two tackles and hurdled a defender for a 23-yard touchdown. Brandon McManus missed the extra point, but Green Bay is up 27-16 with 6:36 to go.

Packers Winning But In Deep Trouble

The Packers are now clinging to a 21-16 lead with 10:08 remaining. Completions of 22 and 21 yards to Colston Loveland set up D’Andre Swift’s 5-yard touchdown run.

Green Bay’s offense must do something. Its four possessions during the second half have gained one first down and 9 net yards.

Inept Packers Offense Putting Game in Jeopardy

The Packers went three-and-out for the third time in four possessions. For the second consecutive possession, Jordan Love was flagged for intentional grounding as the offensive line is getting destroyed by Chicago’s defense.

The Packers took 51 seconds off the clock.

Packer Lead 21-6 Entering Fourth Quarter ...

But Chicago had momentum and the ball on Green Bay's side of the field after a 37-yard return by Devin Duvernay.

Green Bay’s defense made a huge series of plays, though, to limit the damage. On first down from the 24, Caleb Williams’ deep pass hit linebacker Isaiah McDuffie in the shoulder. On second down, Evan Williams made a leaping pass breakup against Rome Odunze. On third down, Lukas Van Ness had a sack and strip, which the Bears recovered and allowed Cairo Santos to make a 51-yard field goal.

It’s 21-9 with 13:29 remaining.

Momentum Vanishes … Almost

The Packers dominated the first half with a 21-3 lead. The momentum is gone, and now the lead is slipping away.

After Green Bay’s offense went three-and-out to start the second half, Chicago scored a field goal. After Green Bay’s offense went three-and-out again, Chicago was in business.

The drive started with a 25-yard pass to Luther Burden. Then, on third-and-1, Kyle Monangai powered ahead for the first down, and Keisean Nixon was guilty of a 15-yard penalty for leaping onto the pile. On first down at the Packers’ 30, Caleb Williams extended time and checked it down to D’Andre Swift for 15 to the 15.

Finally, on fourth-and-1 from the 6, Williams went play-action. Defensive tackle Karl Brooks had an incredible pressure, forcing Williams to throw a desperation ball into the flat to tight end Cole Kmet that was intercepted by linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper, who entered the game when Edgerrin Cooper was injured early in the drive.

So, it’s 21-3 with about 18 minutes remaining.

Bears Cut Margin to Start Third Quarter

Green Bay had a chance to deliver a knockout with the ball to start the second half. Instead, it went three-and-out.

The Bears drove to a 34-yard field goal, with Caleb Williams completing back-to-back passes for 29 and 19 yards to tight end Colston Loveland. Quay Walker blew up a misdirection run to receiver D.J. Moore and Barryn Sorrell’s pressure forced a third-down incompletion.

The Packers didn’t do anything with their next drive and are getting dangerously close to giving the Bears hope. On third-and-2, it appeared Love could have run for a first down but instead chose to throw it to the bench.

Packers Lead 21-3 at Halftime

The Packers are dominating their NFC wild-card game against the Bears.

It’s 21-3, with Jordan Love throwing touchdown passes of 7 yards to Christian Watson, 18 yards to Jayden Reed and 1 yard to Romeo Doubs. He is 9-of-15 with 139 yards – two of the incompletions were clock-killing throwaways on the final drive of the half – with a 130.3 passer rating.

Josh Jacobs, rejuvenated after a week off, has carried 12 times for 49 yards. The Packers are dominating on the ground (93 to 44) and threw the air (138 to 78). After going 0-for-5 in the red zone in the Week 16 loss in Chicago, the Packers have three touchdowns in as many drives.

Green Bay will get the ball to start the second half. Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams led the NFL in fourth-quarter comebacks, so the Packers can't start looking ahead to a divisional-round playoff game next week at the Seattle Seahawks.

Packers Rolling

Leading 14-3, the Packers got the ball back at Chicago’s 32-yard line when Xavier McKinney broke up a pass on third down and Edgerrin Cooper batted down a pass on fourth down.

On fourth-and-1, Jordan Love faked the handoff, booted a bit to thee right and hit Christian Watson on the move. Watson went for the touchdown and tried to hurdle a defender but had it jarred loose by Tyrique Stevenson. Romeo Doubs saved the day, though, making amends for the botched onside kick three weeks ago by falling on the ball in the end zone.

By rule, Green Bay took over at the spot of the fumble, or Chicago’s 1. Love threw incomplete to Doubs on first down and Jacobs gained 2 feet on a pair of runs. On fourth-and-goal after the 2-minute warning, Love out of shotgun fired a 1-yard touchdown pass to Doubs, who was wide open with a little help from Watson.

That gave Green Bay a 21-3 lead with 1:56 left in the half.

Late in the half, the Bears drove to near Green Bay’s 35 but, on fourth-and-4, Caleb Williams, who finished last in the NFL in completion percentage, sailed one over tight end Colston Loveland, who was open over the middle.

The Packers were in complete control. And, with the ball to start the second half, complete control might be an understatement.

Coach Matt LaFleur stepped on the gas, though. A one-man screen to Chris Brooks gained 16, with Luke Musgrave’s dominant block making it work. An 11-yard scramble by Love put the Packers in position for a field goal, but Matt Orzech’s snap was a little inside and Brandon McManus’ 55-yard kick drifted to the left.

Packers Score, Get Fourth-Down Stop

Green Bay extended its lead to 14-3 on Jordan Love’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed on third-and-9. The Packers went with an empty backfield and got read matched against linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Reed ran a double move to get open, and Love showed deft touch on the throw.

Earlier in the drive, Love ran up in the pocket and away from pressure, which allowed rookie Matthew Golden to get open deep for a catch-and-run of 36. Later, Love hit Romeo Doubs for 10 yards on third-and-8 for a key first down.

The Packers proceeded to get a four-and-out stop. On third-and-4, Caleb Williams hit Cole Kmet over the middle for what was ruled on the field as a catch, strip by Xavier McKinney and Bears recovery. Packers coach Matt LaFleur challenged and quickly won, with McKinney’s pass breakup making it fourth-and-4.

Bears coach Ben Johnson, his defense unable to stop Green Bay’s offense and with the Packers set to get the ball to start the second half, kept the offense on the field. Williams’ pass over the middle was deflected by Edgerrin Cooper, forcing an incompletion that gave Green Bay the ball at Chicago’s 32 with 5:15 left in the half.

Bears Strike First; Packers Answer

On their opening possession, the Packers’ offense did what it couldn’t do three weeks in a row, and that’s score in the red zone. After going 0-for-5 inside the 20-yard line in the 22-16 loss in Week 16, the Packers answered Chicago’s opening field goal with a touchdown.

After a 14-yard run on a jet sweep by Jayden Reed to start the drive, the Packers faced a third-and-2. Jordan Love went under center, faked the handoff to Josh Jacobs and went deep to Romeo Doubs for a gain of 33.

Moments later, it was third-and-2 from the 7. Love faked the handoff to Emanuel Wilson, booted to his right and hit a sprinting Christian Watson, who won the race to the pylon for touchdown and a 7-3 lead with 2:06 left in the quarter.

The Bears drove into scoring position on the ensuing possession. On fourth-and-2 at the start of the fourth quarter, Caleb Williams found D.J. Moore wide open over the middle for a gain of 18. Moments later, the Bears faced a fourth-and-6 from Green Bay’s 40. Williams went deep to Luther Burden and was intercepted by Carrington Valentine.

Valentine didn’t have an interception this season and shouldn’t have caught this one, as it cost the Packers 27 yards of field position. Still, it was a big stop for Green Bay.

The Bears won the opening coin toss, took the ball and hogged the ball for 16 plays and 8 minutes before settling for Cairo Santos’ 27-yard field goal.

Chicago converted a third-and-3, a third-and-8, a third-and-1 and a third-and-12. The third-and-8 conversion was especially egregious. The Bears ran a receiver screen and a three-on-two advantage, with a double-team block against Keisean Nixon letting Luther Burden gain 12.

The Packers did get a stop, though. On third-and-5, Rashan Gary had late pressure to force a throwaway.

Pregame Fireworks

Heavy snow covered the field before the game but it had melted during pregame warmups. While it was cold outside, temperatures were hot as the teams got into a pregame disagreement. Coach Matt LaFleur was in the middle of the fray, leading his players out of the dispute.

For LaFleur, this was his sixth playoff appearance in seven seasons. He led the team to NFC Championship Games in 2019 and 2020 but just one playoff win since.

What does it take to succeed in the playoffs?

“I think the more normal you can make it, the better chance you have,” he said this week. “Throughout my experiences, you’ve got to just do your job and focus on your job. We know this. Anytime you’re playing a really good football team, whether it’s in the playoffs or the regular season, every play is so critical. You can’t have lapses, whether it’s intensity, whether it’s mental lapses, you just can’t have them because every play is so valuable, so critical. There’s no wasted plays.

“And I think ultimately what it comes down to is your ability to execute. And I would say this: In the biggest of games, your best players have to play their best.”

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.