In a back and forth game, special teams gave the Packers a victory over their oldest rivals.
Finally, we have reached the #1 play of the Green Bay Packers’ 2024 season as voted on by the APC staff. This play should come as little surprise, and it is only fitting that the top spot involves the game-winning play to beat the Chicago Bears.
The Set Up
The Green Bay Packers entered the game with a 6-3 record, but their three losses to this point were notable. After a rough game in Brazil to start the season, the Packers started 0-2 in NFC North games. In week 4, Jordan Love had come back quickly from his Week 1 injury to see the Minnesota Vikings jump out to a large lead, and fell short on a near-miracle comeback. Then just before the bye week, the Packers lost to the Detroit Lions at home after falling to a 24-6 deficit and having to play catchup again.
The Packers were able to recover some and rest through the bye week before playing the Bears at Soldier Field in week 11. In the five prior seasons under Matt LaFleur, the Packers had gone 2-3 when coming out of the bye. The Packers were hoping to get healthy and continue climbing out of the early season difficulties.
However, the Bears were on an opposite trajectory. Chicago had started off 4-2 before their week seven bye. Afterwards, the Bears lost to Washington on a Hail Mary and dropped three straight games, entering the matchup with a 4-5 record. After some early season fireworks, Chicago had averaged just nine points a game in those three losses.
The Game
The Packers got the ball first and put together a tidy eight play, 70 yard drive for a touchdown. They never faced a third down and things looked to be heading the way all recent Packers-Bears games had. The opening drive finished as Jordan Love hit Jayden Reed with a 15 yard touchdown pass while the Bears were caught with 12 men on the field.
The Bears responded on the next possession by pushing for 34 yards and setting up a 53 yard field goal by Cairo Santos. Chicago was able to convert and early third and eight when Caleb Williams scrambled for 16 yards.
The Packers and Bears then exchanged punts before an unfortunate turnover killed a long Green Bay drive. On third and 11 from the Bears’ 15, Jordan Love threw an interception which was returned to the Bears’ 24 yard line. Chicago drove 76 yards and scored a touchdown with just seven seconds left in the half to take a 10-7 halftime lead. For the third straight divisional game, the Packers walked to the locker room with a deficit to overcome.
The second half saw both teams come out swinging. The Bears fought down the Packers’ nine yard line, but had to settle for a field goal to push to a 13-7 lead. The Packers used 20-yard gains from Christian Watson and Josh Jacobs in the passing game to put together a quick six-play touchdown drive. After Jacobs’ 7-yard rushing touchdown, Brandon McManus put the Packers back on top 14-13.
The Bears answered right back with a 70-yard drive of their own, accented by DeAndre Swift’s 39-yard touchdown run. The quick pitch featured a pulling tackle and a key block by Keenan Allen on the edge to get Swift into space. Swift made one man miss and was not touched until the goal line. The Bears held a 19-14 lead after a failed two point try.
The Packers next drive came to nothing as the they reached first and goal from the Bears eight yard line. A short loss for Jacobs, a sack and a short scramble by Love left the Packers with fourth and goal from the Bears’ six. A four-man pass rush pushed Love out of the pocket, where he decided against a throw to Kraft in the end zone and decided to run. Love tried to juke a Bears defender, but was tackled short of the end zone at the one.
Now down by five with 12 minutes remaining, the Packers needed a stop. The Bears used some runs and timely short passes to get to the Packers 49 yard line. Still, the 12-play drive ended with the Bears punting the ball. Watson then hauled in a 60 yard bomb on a throw from Love, and after a 16 yard scramble and a quarterback sneak into the end zone, the Packers were back on top 20-19.
However, the Bears still had 2:59 left and worked down the field to set up a 46 yard field goal with three seconds left.
The Situation
Chicago decided that they were not going to push their luck. They had completed a 19 yard pass on third and 19, followed by a 21 yard pass on fourth down to keep their drive alive. Once reaching the Green Bay 30, the Bears ran once with 35 seconds left and then called time out again with three seconds. If Cairo Santos made his field goal, the Packers would start off with an 0-3 record in the division, while the Bears had a chance to start 1-0 in the North and get their first win against the Packers since 2018.
The Play
On the field goal block team, Packers defensive tackle Karl Brooks lined up over left guard Matt Pryor. Once the ball was snapped, he attacked Pryor’s inside shoulder and slid into the gap between him and long snapper Scott Daly. Brooks was able to pull his right arm through to gain some leverage as he pushed through toward the oncoming kick, while fellow tackles T.J. Slaton and Devonte Wyatt were pushing toward that same point. Brooks’ extended hand got enough of the ball to make it land in the end zone, safely short of the goal posts, and end the game.
There was some talk after the game that key film study of the Bears’ special teams assisted the Packers in their belief they could block Santos in a key moment like this.
Just talked to several players on the Packers FG block unit and all of them said they noticed that Cairo Santos kicked with a low trajectory when doing film study and they expected the Bears to run another a play, which in their opinion, would have made it more difficult to block
— Kalyn Kahler (@kalynkahler) November 17, 2024
The Result
The Packers were able to walk off in celebration as time expired. Sadly, this game was the only divisional win of the year for the Packers, but it did help continue the Bears’ tailspin. Chicago lost the following six games and finished 5-12, firing Matt Eberflus shortly after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Green Bay notched their 11th straight win over Chicago. The win coming out of the bye pushed Green Bay to 7-3 as they pushed to the playoffs again, ending the season with a final record of 11-6.
The Full Countdown
- Karl Brooks blocks Bears’ would-be game winner
- Jayden Reed hauls in an impossible throw
- Romeo Doubs makes a fingertip catch to shut down Seattle
- Long ball from Malik Willis to Jayden Reed sets up game-winner
- Nixon picks on Goff in key NFC North matchup
- Tucker Kraft rumbles for a 66-yard touchdown
- Jaire Alexander pick-sixes Will Levis
- Jayden Reed’s longest play goes for a score
- Love’s laser through DB’s fingertips to a diving Kraft
- Xavier McKinney makes an immediate impact in week 1