Grading the Chicago Bears in their Lambeau thriller against the Green Bay Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. - It felt like old times.
The Packers led 14-3 at halftime after scoring just before halftime. The Chicago Bears were on the verge of letting another one at Lambeau Field get away early.
Except, this time it wasn't like that.
The Bears fell to the Packers 28-21 in a game where Green Bay just made one or two more plays. Here’s how we graded the Bears in the primetime loss.
Chicago Bears offense
Grade: B-
The Bears had 59 yards of offense and three points at halftime. They needed to make some sort of adjustments on the offensive side of the ball.
Credit to the offensive coaching staff. They found a few things that ended up clicking.
They had 172 yards of offense entering the fourth quarter. The Bears turned it around, and in short order.
The offensive line found its edge, especially in the trenches. The Bears were losing those battles early. They were beginning to win consistently as the fourth quarter wore on.
Chicago Bears defense
Grade: C
The one thing you don’t want to do in the middle eight is allow the team receiving the second-half kickoff to score before halftime. Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense did that with a 45-yard strike to Bo Melton.
The defense did have an answer, though. The Bears forced a three-and-out. With another stop, they could tie or take the lead. The Bears’ defense allowed Christian Watson to get a free release on a slant route, and he outraced CJ Gardner-Johnson for a 41-yard touchdown.
The Bears got a sack on Jordan Love in the first quarter, but struggled to get after him for the rest of the game. Especially in the fourth quarter. The Packers’ run game scored a 22-yard run, where the defensive line had three players in the vicinity but couldn’t bring down Josh Jacobs.
After a first-quarter interception by Gardner-Johnson, the Bears struggled to takeaway the football away when it mattered most.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams
Grade: C
Williams didn’t have a great first half. He spent most of it running for his life as Micah Parsons and the Packers’ pass rush chased him down.
Getting the running game going was crucial. It allowed the pass rush to ease off enough to allow Williams to settle into the passing game. In the fourth quarter, Williams began to throw darts.
His ability to make plays off script showed up. He hit Olamide Zaccheaus for a one-yard touchdown. A touchdown to Colston Loveland later tied the game.
He even scrambled and hit Devin Duvernay for a 22-yard gain. The Bears could have used a faster start from Williams, but he rallied on the road with a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.
Williams tried to play hero ball, but his pass was picked off. It was a play he could have run for the first or taken the check down. It's hard to fault him for trying to tie, or potentially win the game, but with two times outs and enough time to get off three more plays it's hard to argue
Bears coach Ben Johnson
Grade: B
The Bears didn’t have much. They were looking for answers. It felt like the Packers were playing a different brand of football.
Ben Johnson was getting outcoached. He stuck to his guns, which is the smash mouth brand of football that led the Bears to a 9-3 record.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Bears’ running game woke up. They crossed the century mark as a team, and the one- and two-yard gains turned into four- and five-yard gains.
That materialized in a 17-play, 83-yard drive that beat up the Packers’ defense.
Johnson’s coaching wasn’t perfect. But, he showed poise and mettle in Lambeau in a position where his predecessors struggled.
Chicago Bears’ offensive line
Grade: B
The Bears’ offensive line was getting pushed around.
But, the longer that Johnson stuck with the running game, the more the Bears’ line started to establish an edge in the trenches.
That’s what dictated the second half. They didn't allow a sack int he second half, either.