The Green Bay Packers struggled on both sides of the ball but found a way to hold on for a 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears. Karl Brooks got a hand on a field goal try by Cairo Santos on the game’s final play to seal the win for the Packers. The win increased the Packers record to 7-3 on the season while the Bears dropped to 4-6. Here are 10 things we learned in the Packers 20-19 win over the Bears in Week 11:
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Bears, Number One: Karl Brooks Saved the Day
The Bears lined up for the winning field goal with three seconds left in the game. Santos has been very reliable from 46 yards out and the game seemed lost. But Brooks managed to get a hand on the field goal try and prevented it from going through the uprights.
The defense failed to stop the Bears from driving down the field in the final minute, but Brooks bailed them out.
According to head coach Matt LaFleur, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia saw something in the Bears field goal blocking scheme and told the team they should be able to block one against Chicago. The team managed to make that prediction come true when it mattered most.
Number Two: Christian Watson Was a Difference Maker
Wide receiver Christian Watson had his best game of the season. He caught four passes on four targets for a career-high 150 yards. His catches all mattered, especially the 60-yard gain he picked up in the fourth quarter that led to the Packers final score.
His 25-yard catch in the third quarter set up the Packers second touchdown which put them ahead 14-13. Watson also had a 48-yard gain in the fourth quarter that set up first and goal for the Pack, but they failed to convert on that series.
Watson lived up to his billing as a big-play receiver in this game. If he can have a strong second half to the season, it can give the Packers offense another weapon that can make big plays and open things up for his teammates when defenses have to account for Watson.
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Bears, Number Three: The Defense Got No Pressure on Caleb Williams
For most of the game, the Packers failed to get pressure on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears allowed nine sacks last week against New England, but until the final drive, they allowed just one against Green Bay.
Jeff Hafley dialed up some blitz packages, but the Bears were smart and called a lot of quick release passes that prevented the rush from getting to the quarterback. When the Packers did get some pressure, Williams easily scrambled away from it.
Brenton Cox recorded his first career NFL sack in the first half while T.J. Slaton and Rashan Gary got to Williams on consecutive plays on the final drive.
Overall, the Packers failed to create much pressure on the quarterback and the Bears were able to move the football as a result. The Packers were outcoached and outexecuted in this game and they made a shaky offense look strong.
Number Four: Red Zone Offense Continues to Be a Big Problem
The Packers finished with three touchdowns in five red zone chances, but they left a lot of points on the field again against the Bears.
Jordan Love threw one interception near the goal line and the Packers went for it on fourth down and goal at the six and failed to convert.
The Packers tried to run the ball in the red zone more often, but they still failed to make the most of their opportunities. They won’t beat better teams unless they put more points on the board when they get the ball deep in enemy territory.
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Bears, Number Five: Matt LaFleur’s Play Calling and Timeout Usage Were Bad
LaFleur just didn’t make great play calls at important points in this game and his timeouts were mismanaged at key times as well.
One clear example came early in the fourth quarter. The Packers had the ball 1st-and-goal at the Bears 8. After Josh Jacobs lost a yard on first down, the Packers called another running play which got the ball to the five. A pass would have made more sense.
On third down, Love was sacked for a one-yard loss. LaFleur chose to go for it on fourth and goal at the five. A field goal would have made the score 19-17 Chicago and pulled the Packers to within a field goal.
Later in the game, LaFleur wasted a timeout on a challenge when Love nearly scored on a scramble. The Packers lost a vital timeout on the challenge. Furthermore, the Packers could have taken more time off the clock if they ran another play or two before giving Chicago back the ball.
Love ran for a touchdown on the next play, but the Packers only had one timeout left. They did not have a timeout left to try to ice the kicker before the final play. It didn’t end up costing the team the game, but this wasn’t good timeout management late in the game.
Number Six: Josh Jacobs Had a Strong Game
At first glance, Jacobs’ numbers look rather pedestrian, for him at least. He gained 76 yards on 18 carries, a 4.2-yard average per run. His long gain was 12 yards. But that only tells part of the story.
Jacobs also caught four passes to tie for the team lead and gained 58 yards as a receiver. That means he gained 134 yards in the game.
Jacobs remains the catalyst for the Green Bay offense. When you consider the Packers only completed 13 passes in this game (on 17 attempts) and that Jacobs caught four of them, you can see how big a role the running back had in the offense.
Jacobs may not be a threat to gain 60 yards often, but his ability to gain five yards instead of two or 12 yards instead of five on a given play makes a big difference for this offense.
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Bears, Number Seven: The Packers Missed Jaire Alexander
The good news is, cornerback Jaire Alexander dressed for this game and started despite dealing with his knee injury. The bad news is, Alexander lasted only 10 plays and then sat out the rest of the game.
Alexander was clearly missed. There is a big drop in talent and productivity at cornerback without Alexander in the lineup. Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon just couldn’t provide the same kind of shut-down coverage that a healthy Alexander is capable of giving the team. Even Xavier McKinney had his worst game of the season without Alexander in the lineup.
As a result, the Bears short passing game was extremely effective with DJ Moore catching seven passes on seven targets and Rome Odunze adding six catches on 10 targets.
The Bears were able to consistently push the ball down the field using short passes. If Alexander was healthy, he would have likely reduced that number a bit for the Packers.
The fact that Alexander still wasn’t able to play the full game after the bye is a big concern.
Number Eight: Caleb Williams Ran Against the Defense All Game
The Packers defense had done a good job containing running quarterbacks this season, at least up until this game. Williams gashed the Packers defense for 70 yards on nine carries, a healthy 7.8-yard average. He led the team in rushing yards until D’Andre Swift broke off a 39-yard scoring play that gave him 71 yards on the game.
Whether it was a designed running play or a scramble to avoid the rush, the Packers couldn’t stop Williams. This was a big disappointment after the previous efforts this season.
Williams gained confidence each time he gained yards, and it kept the Bears offense clicking throughout the game. The Packers never put a spy on Williams even after he started gaining chunks of yards on the ground.
Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the Bears, Number Nine: The Defense Struggled On Third Down
The Packers struggled on third and fourth down on both sides of the ball. On offense, the Pack went just 1-for-5 on third down and failed to convert their only fourth down try.
But the bigger issue came on defense where they allowed Chicago to convert on 9-of-16 third down tries and all three of their fourth down chances.
The defense just couldn’t get off the field often enough and their failure on the money down was disappointing, especially when facing a rookie quarterback.
Number Ten: Must Play Better to Win Against Good Teams
The Packers escaped Chicago with an important win, their 11th straight against the Bears. That is the longest win streak by either team in this rivalry that dates back to 1921.
However, the Packers didn’t play well in this game. If they produce a similar effort next Sunday against the 49ers, or any quality opponents, they will have a hard time winning games going forward.
The Pack has a lot to clean up if they hope to compete with the best teams in the NFC. This kind of performance won’t be good enough to get the job done.
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