Packers Report Card: Grades from Season-Changing Collapse at Bears

The grades are in, and they would have been much more kind to the Green Bay Packers had the game ended in 58 minutes. Instead, a few big plays at the end of the game are dragging them down.

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) catches the game-winning touchdown pass against Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Had Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bears been 58 minutes long, the report card would likely look drastically different than it does.

Green Bay was dominant for most of the game even with its backup quarterback on the field for the better part of three quarters.

As everyone who has watched one minute of football knows, the NFL is not a 58 minute game. It’s 60 minutes.

The Packers failed drastically in the last two minutes of the game, and allowed the game to get to overtime.

Caleb Williams and DJ Moore did the rest from there with a 46-yard dagger to Green Bay’s hopes of winning a division title.

More on that, and the rest of Saturday’s collapse with our weekly report card.

Pass Offense

Jordan Love was money in the bank the first time these two teams met at Lambeau Field two weeks ago.

He was off to a good start on Saturday night, 8-13 for 77 yards before a big play by Chicago’s defense changed the trajectory of the game.

Chicago defensive end Austin Booker broke around the edge and had Love set in his sights and hit him with the crown of his helmet.

The hit was flagged for 15 yards and a first down, but Love laid on the field afterward. He would go to the locker room and give way to Malik Willis while being evaluated for a concussion.

Malik Willis entered the game from there and did what he has always done since being traded to Green Bay. The Packers’ offense hardly missed a beat. Willis was able to create plays with his arm and his legs. The Packers moved the ball regardless of who was under center.

DOUBS WHAT A CATCH!!!

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/QvAobFOT4u

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 21, 2025

Willis looked like he threw a dagger into the heart of Chicago with a 33-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to Romeo Doubs to give the Packers a 13-3 lead.

Instead, a botched onside kick and litany of errors surrounding it made it so Willis needed to put together one more drive to give the Packers a chance to win the game.

Overtime was when Willis made his only mistake of the game. The Packers were facing a fourth-and-1 from the Chicago 36, and Willis admitted to speeding up his snap count, which caused a fumbled exchange between Willis and Sean Rhyan.

“"If I'm going to do something like that, I just have to preface it in the huddle before we get into that situation," Willis said.

"I can't blame him for not expecting that. I can't blame anybody. It was on me."

That mistake is really the only thing keeping Willis from a glowing review.

Grade: B

Rush Offense

Matt LaFleur had to find some creativity in his run game due to the winds swirling at Soldier Field, and his starting quarterback getting knocked out of the game with a concussion.

Couple that with the fact his top running back is battling an injury that reportedly had him on crutches earlier in the week.

Overall, Green Bay’s ground game found success. Emanuel Wilson and Malik Willis both averaged more than four yards-per-carry, with Wilson being the team’s leading rusher.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) runs with the ball against Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Josh Jacobs admirably fought through pain to suit up for Saturday’s game, but he is clearly not himself. He had 36 yards on 12 carries, and one costly fumble that came deep in the red zone that took points off the scoreboard for the Packers.

Jacobs has said he’ll fight to stay on the field, but if he’s going to be ineffective, the Packers have a capable backup with Wilson taking the ball.

Green Bay finished the night with eight different ball carriers piling up 192 yards on 44 carries. It was an excellent rushing performance that likely would have been able to run out the clock if not for the mistakes on special teams.

Instead, the Packers are wondering what could have been. The one costly mistake knocks them down a peg as well.

Grade: B

Pass Defense

Everyone watching the game had the same questions about Green Bay’s defense in their first game without Micah Parsons.

How are they going to rush the passer? Who is going to be on the field in pass rushing situations? Who is going to make the big plays that Parsons usually did?

The answer to those questions through the first 58 minutes was a collective effort and masterclass by Jeff Hafley.

The last two minutes and overtime? Well, you’re probably sensing a theme by this point. It was a disaster.

Caleb Williams and company scored four times between the fourth quarter and overtime with two field goals and two touchdowns.

The first touchdown came on a coverage bust where the Packers sent an all-out pressure trying to force Williams to get rid of the ball early. He did, but found Jahdae Walker in the back of the end zone for what was just the second catch of Walker’s career.

Williams’ last pass of the night came in overtime which was a 46-yard strike to DJ Moore as he was about to get decked. It was a star level throw from Williams, and a great play by Moore who victimized Keisean Nixon in coverage.

Nixon’s passer rating against him the last two weeks is over 130, and it looked like he dropped Walker on the touchdown that sent the game into overtime.

The first 58 minutes were great. The last two minutes and overtime were so bad, it drags down what should have been an excellent grade.

Grade: D

Rush Defense

Green Bay’s run defense keeps getting tested, and they keep coming away with some big time performances.

Chicago’s running back tandem was likely licking its chops after getting a rhythm in the second half of the Packers’ 28-21 win at Lambeau Field two weeks ago.

Now the Packers were missing two of their best run defenders with Micah Parsons and Evan Williams on the shelf for Saturday’s game.

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (25) gestures toward the Green Bay Packers end zone after running for a first down. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Instead of picking up where they left off, Green Bay’s defense bowed its neck against Chicago’s powerful run game.

D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai gained just 108 yards on 22 carries. Their longest run of the night was a 13-yard burst from Monangai.

Caleb Williams added 30 yards on three scrambles, and DJ Moore had a 12-yard run as well.

Overall, the Packers gave up 150 yards on 26 carries. Considering that Williams accounts for a good chunk of that, the Packers held Chicago’s run game in check. Had they finished the game off, this would have felt like a much better performance.

Grade: B

Special Teams

Shades of the 2014 NFC Championship Game in Saturday’s game against Chicago.

After the Bears kicked a field goal with less than two minutes remaining, all the Packers had to do was fall on an onside kick.

Romeo Doubs was in position. The ball hit his hands. He did not catch it. The Bears recovered, and tied the game on the strength of Caleb Williams’ touchdown pass to Jahdae Walker.

Rich Bisaccia always says that the difference between his group and the other phases of the game is that his team does not get a second down.

He’s right, so all it takes is one big play to give that group a really bad grade.

Grade: F

Coaching

Matt LaFleur’s first big decision of the night came on the first series of the game. The Packers were facing a fourth-and-1 deep in Chicago territory, and LaFleur was not content to settle for a short field goal from Brandon McManus.

LaFleur called a timeout, and sent his offense back on the field to try and pick up the first down. Ultimately, a pass in the end zone to Christian Watson fell incomplete. The issue was less about the decision to go for it. The issue isn’t even with the fact that LaFleur called a pass play in the low red zone.

The issue was the play was telegraphed. The running back on the play was Chris Brooks. Brooks does a lot of good things for the Packers, but he’s on the team to be an extra pass blocker.

Brooks came into Saturday’s game with just 13 carries on the season. Chicago never had a second thought Green Bay was going to run the ball. Ultimately, Green Bay was shut out on their first series.

His second big decision came after Jordan Love left the game after a vicious hit from Austin Booker. Facing another fouth-and-1 on his own side of the 50, LaFleur continued his trend of aggression since the calendar reached Thanksgiving.

A zone-read from Willis resulted in a first down.

The drive was extended, and resulted in a short field goal from Brandon McManus.

Once again, through 58 minutes this was slated to be one of the best wins of Matt LaFleur’s career.

Instead, it was a botched ending, which causes the mirror to turn inward on all of the men on the coaching staff.

A great night from LaFleur was wasted. A better night from Jeff Hafley went down the drain.

The only man who did not have a good night was special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, whose unit was arguably the biggest culprit in Saturday’s collapse.

Ultimately, the unforced errors continue to rear their ugly head in critical moments, and now the Packers have blown a two-possession lead in the second half in back-to-back weeks.

Grade: C

Everything was looking good for Green Bay until the final two minutes of Saturday's game. With as diastrous of a performance since the 2014 NFC Championship Game, the Packers NFC North hopes are hanging on by a thread. https://t.co/49TI4hMhf1

— Jacob Westendorf (@JacobWestendorf) December 21, 2025

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