The Green Bay Packers have consistently found ways to beat themselves this season, and no loss will sting more than the one that the team suffered on Saturday night in Chicago.
With the regular season winding down, let’s discuss how the Packers faltered, and ultimately their path forward.
Insult to Injury
Last week around this time, we were mourning the loss of our best player.
This week, we mourn the loss of our quarterback, and perhaps even more so, our pride.
There are simply no words to describe the absolute meltdown that befell the Packers at Soldier Field, and there shouldn’t be any excuses either.
The dominoes started to fall halfway through the third quarter, and continued to fall until the end of the contest.
The nightmare began when Josh Jacobs fumbled at the Bears four, and although I admire his toughness, it was pretty clear that he shouldn’t have played in this one.
Jacobs was visibly in pain after several of his carries, and Emanuel Wilson had been more than effective in relief of him.
Without the turnover, the Green Bay Packers would’ve had at least two more plays within the five to get points, and although the Bears didn’t score on the ensuing possession, they got their first taste of momentum.
To end the third quarter, Malik Willis found Romeo Doubs for a thirty-three yard touchdown, and based on Chicago’s play up to that point, the game seemed almost sealed.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
Over the next three drives, Chicago kicker Cairo Santos was able to hit two very impressive field goals despite the perilous wind, all while the Packers were held to three points in the redzone yet again.
This cut the Packers lead to seven with just under two minutes left, and in the horrifying sequel to a film that many Green Bay fans have seen before, Romeo Doubs muffed his attempt at an onside kick recovery.
The Bears then took advantage and tied the game at sixteen, mostly thanks to a ridiculously blown coverage by both Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs on fourth and four, and as a result, free football commenced.
The Green Bay Packers got the ball first, but fumbled the snap on a fourth and one try in Bears territory, and just like that, the game, and the division was gone.
It took a comedy of errors, even without Jordan Love and Micah Parsons, and yet, we couldn’t come away with the victory.
All things considered, wide receiver Romeo Doubs will likely end up taking most of the heat for the loss, but in my opinion, there’s far more blame to go around.
Sequences like that shouldn’t happen to competitive teams this late in the season, regardless of who is on the field.
The main focus in the film room this week should be accountability, and if you happened to catch any of media scrum post-game, you’ll know who took it—and who didn’t.
QB2
In the shadow of such a demoralizing loss, there aren’t many flowers to hand off, but if there’s one player that deserves them, it’s backup quarterback Malik Willis.
Since being acquired prior to the 2024 season for a measly seventh-round pick, Willis has been nothing short of sensational when called upon.
When Jordan Love was injured following the Brazil game last year, Willis started two games and got two wins, which kept the Packers afloat.
Even in his last appearance at Soldier in January of this year, he did enough to win, with the Packers only falling on a late fifty-one yard field goal.
Saturday was no different, and the Packers couldn’t have asked for much more when Jordan Love went down with a concussion in the second quarter.
Although the stat line wasn’t eye-popping, Willis was dynamic, going nine of eleven for one hundred and twenty-one yards and a touchdown while adding forty-four yards on the ground.
Willis commanded the offense with ease, and in tough conditions, his speed had Chicago on skates.
Even though his performance didn’t result in the win that he deserved, he’ll likely get another chance to define the Green Bay Packers’ season.
Despite playing through a shoulder injury for the final drive or so, Willis is probably more likely to be healthy against Baltimore than Jordan Love.
If that ends up being the case, the former third round pick of the Titans will have a singular goal.
Win, and you’re in.
Salting the Earth
It’s been a rough week or so in Packerland, but despite everything, I’m of the belief that it can’t get any worse than it has been.
The Green Bay Packers may have blown their chance at the division on Saturday night, but the playoffs are still within reach.
Thanks to a massive assist from the Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers over the Lions, the Packers can secure a postseason spot simply by winning one of their final two games.
Those matchups will no doubt be difficult, with the Ravens playing for the fate of their season and the Vikings eager to spoil Green Bay’s hopes, but if this team has any fight left in them, they should be able to get it done.
After losing so many important players to injury, the chance to play playoff football in a fiercely competitive NFC might just be enough for me.
The post Déjà Vu: Green Bay Confronts Past Demons in Brutal Loss first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.