Packers Don't Win

The GB Draft cap. 1/10/26 dwm

Saturday night, the Chicago Bears won the toss and took the ball. After receiving the kick they spent nearly half the first quarter driving the ball into Packer territory.

It was in the shadows of the goal posts that Green Bay finally stopped the Bears and limited them to a field goal and a 3 - 0 lead.

Green Bay got the ball next and took the ball 85 yards to the north end zone with a 7-yard pass to Christian Watson to go up 7 - 3.

The Bears coach didn't want to punt, going for it every time his team faced fourth down. The Packers intercepted Bear quarterback Caleb Williams to get the ball back for the Packer's second possession. They drove it 87-yards this time, finishing with a touchdown pass to Jayden Reed.

Chicago gave up the ball on downs after six plays, then QB Jordan Love and company drove 32 yards over 12 plays with another touchdown pass, this one to Romeo Dobbs. 

The first half had to feel good for Dobbs as he had several good catches and a score. It was his fumble of the onside kick in the teams'Then  last meeting that helped Chicago win. 

Chicago converted one of five fourth down plays, with the Bears throwing an interception or turning it over on downs. The final time in the half with the ball, Green Bay got in field goal position, but Brandon McManus' 55-yard kick missed to the left, making it 21- 3 Packers at the half. I felt pretty good about the game, but knew we needed more points.

The game was not on network TV. 10/10/26 dwm

 The Packers got the ball coming out of halftime but couldn't build their lead, kicking after three plays. The Bears drove, but held to a field goal. 

 Green Bay couldn't get it in gear, punting a second time, and then a third time after picking off an errant Bears pass. Chicago drove the ball but still couldn't get more than three points, making it 21 - 9.

 The next Packer drive ended in a punt and this time Chicago had an 8-play drive end in a touchdown with 10:12 to play.

 The Packers responded with a touchdown, and I thought that was enough with 6:44 to play; then McManus missed the extra point, which would hurt.

Chicago pulled within 3 after a 13-play drive made it 27 - 24. Green Bay responded with a 43-yard drive but McManus missed a second field goal that would have pushed the lead to 6-points. By now, I'm standing in front of the TV, trying to transmit encouragement to the Pack.

All season, the Bears have engineered come-back victories, and Saturday was no different, as Williams connected with a receiver for a 25-yard touchdown, complete with a two-point conversion and a 31 - 27 lead. 

Jordan Love took the team down field where the Packers could have won, but his last pass was short, leaving tens of thousands of Chicago fans happy and Packer fans wondering why they received another punch in the gut. 

This game was ours to win, but Chicago was resilient and did more than Green Bay did when it mattered. The loss will stick with the team and Packer Nation a long, long time and there won't be an opportunity to get this taste out of our mouths until September.

It was a roller-coaster ride of a season. We looked like champions after the first two games, then lost our way for a game or two before getting things rolling. 

The injury to Tucker Kraft (tight end) was a big loss as he was coming into his own as a player. At Denver, Micah Parsons blew an ACL ligament, and that felt like the end, which it kind of was, because we didn't win another game.

There was talk from the team before the game that resting most of the starters in the last regular season game helped the team, and it did seem to work in the first half, but the Bears elixir was ultimately too much and Green Bay was one and done in the play-offs, again, leaving the team and fans waiting for next year.

Before the injuries and the losses, going to the Super Bowl seemed like a fair expectation in September. Now it seems at least a 50/50 chance that the Packers will be coached by someone else next year. 

Coach LaFleur has been a winner, but hasn't won enough. It wouldn't surprise me if there is a new coach in town, but either way, we need to continue building the team and then close games out when we get a lead. Go Pack, go.