A week after the gut punch of losing Micah Parsons for the season, the football gods had more pain in store as the Green Bay Packers lost a heartbreaker to the Chicago Bears which dropped them back to the seventh seed in the NFC with two weeks to go.
Here are some quick takeaways from Green Bay’s 22-16 walk-off loss in overtime:
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Biggest play
With less than two minutes to play and the Bears set to kickoff, the Packers just needed to recover an onside kick and get one first down to close out a famous and deserved win. Then Romeo Doubs pulled a Brandon Bostick, failing to recover the onside kick attempt and allowing Chicago to march down and tie the game on a 4th and 4, before eventually going on to win it in overtime.
Special teams continues to be a house of horrors in Green Bay, and this latest example almost certainly costs them the NFC North and a home playoff game. They still have work to do to ensure they make the postseason after the crushing loss in Chicago.
Cause for concern
For the second straight week, the Packers’ inability to convert red zone trips into touchdowns cost them in a big way.
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They moved the ball on the Bears all night, whether it was Jordan Love or Malik Willis at quarterback, but they could have built an insurmountable lead if they had executed near the end zone earlier in the game. It came back to bite them ultimately.
Standout player
Malik Willis showed once again why he has been such a valuable asset to the Packers as the backup quarterback. His ability to come in without warning and operate the offense at a high level, making good throws and creating magic with his legs, never ceases to be remarkable.
The effort Willis put forth tonight deserved a win, and likely made him some extra money in his upcoming free agency. He deserves a chance to compete to start somewhere in 2026.
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Reason for optimism
Jeff Hafley’s defense responded to losing Micah Parsons by essentially shutting down one of the best and most explosive offenses in the NFL. It was an incredible effort by the defense, who like Willis and the offense, did more than enough down to down to win the game.
The pass rush was effective, and Hafley’s willingness to send blitzes at Caleb Williams flustered him all night. If tonight is any indication, the signs are positive that this defense can hold up in the postseason against high powered offenses.
Injuries
The headline injury is of course Love leaving the game and being ruled out with a concussion after a vicious hit by Bears defender Austin Booker. Green Bay’s starting quarterback will now face a race to progress through the protocol in time to play next Saturday versus Baltimore.
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Tight end John FitzPatrick left the game with what looked like a serious non-contact injury, and was quickly declared out with an Achilles. It does not take too much guesswork to deduce that his season is very likely over.
Doubs injured his wrist on the botched onside kick and did not return to the game in overtime. Matt LaFleur did not have an update on either Doubs or Love when asked postgame, but did say Zach Tom and Evan Williams, who missed Saturday night’s game, were “not close” to playing.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Quick takeaways from Packers’ 22-16 loss to Bears: Red zone woes resurface
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