The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have one half of their pivotal Week 16 matchup in the books. While it's been a low-scoring affair, there's been no shortage of drama between these division rivals as Green Bay entered the locker room with a 6-0 lead.
Both offenses were able to move the ball out of the gate, each getting inside their opponent's 10-yard line on their opening possession. However, neither of those drives resulted in points as Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson kept their offenses on the field and came up short on fourth down. The Packers eventually managed to open the scoring with a field goal on their second possession, but things went sideways after that.
After forcing a Chicago punt, Green Bay took possession at its own 5-yard line. Just three plays into that drive, Bears defensive lineman Austin Booker sacked Jordan Love -- a hit that not only resulted in a roughing-the-passer penalty but also knocked him out of the game. After initially being listed as questionable, Love has been downgraded to out with a concussion.
In his place, backup Malik Willis answered the call and built upon their lead with a field goal drive before halftime. On the Bears front, the offense punted on their two possessions after that failed fourth-down attempt to begin the game.
As a reminder, whoever comes out on top of this matchup will control their own destiny in the NFC North and clinch a playoff berth if the Detroit Lions either lose or tie on Sunday, so the playoff ramifications loom large.
As this game continues to unfold, check out our live blog of Saturday's matchup. Below, you can find expert analysis and real-time highlights of all the top plays.
Green Bay has struggled deep in Chicago territory tonight, but they've added a key field goal. After Brandon McManus connected on a 26-yarder, it's back to a two-score lead with just over five minutes to play.
The Bears are within a score of the Packers thanks to Cairo Santos defying the elements and connecting on a 51-yard field goal. Chicago now trails, 13-6.
When we get to the head coach hiring cycle, expect Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to be a strong candidate this go around. If/when he gets hired, we can point to this game as one of the marquee moments for his résumé. Without Micah Parsons, he has this unit dialed in.
In a low-scoring game like this, we may have just seen a dagger from the Packers. Malik Willis throws a perfectly placed ball to Romeo Doubs for a 33-yard touchdown. It's a 13-3 lead for Green Bay. Doubs is now up to five catches for 84 yards and that score.
The Chicago defense is stepping up in a big way. When it seemed like Green Bay was about to add to its lead, Nahshon Wright ripped the ball out of Josh Jacobs' hands on a first-and-goal carry from the 4-yard line. Tremaine Edmunds recovered the loose ball, and the Bears gained possession and, more importantly, eliminated the scoring opportunity.
On a windy night in Chicago, Cairo Santos wisely played the elements, angling his kick to the left, and the wind carried it perfectly down the middle to connect on a 46-yard field goal. The Bears cut the deficit in half.
Kyle Monangai has been quite the find for the Bears this season. The rookie back hauled in a pass from Caleb Williams and flipped the field. Chicago is threatening early in this third quarter.
The big story in the upcoming second half will be the status of Jordan Love, who is questionable as he's evaluated for a concussion. The Bears will get the opening kickoff, so they can get back in this in a hurry.
Check out more about the injury in our story below:
The Packers clearly have confidence in Willis, keeping the offense on the field on fourth down in Bears territory. He repays them by moving the chains.
The Green Bay Packers QB is out of the blue medical tent, but walking with a trainer to the locker room. He did not have his helmet with him, which is an indication that he needs further evaluation for a possible concussion.
The broadcast showed Jordan Love jogging off and heading into the blue medical tent. Good news that he was able to jog off, but Malik Willis is now in at quarterback.
Jordan Love is being looked at by trainers after Austin Booker came crashing in and delivered a massive hit. He was flagged for roughing the passer, but far more concern for Love than field position for Green Bay.
This time around, Matt LaFleur put his field goal unit out there and Brandon McManus netted the 26-yard field goal to give Green Bay a 3-0 lead. It comes after another stalled-out effort from the offense after getting as far as the Chicago 5-yard line.
The Packers will begin the second quarter on the doorstep of the red zone, in part, thanks to Romeo Doubs pulling off this remarkable sideline catch.
In a similar fashion to Green Bay, the Bears were faced with a fourth-and-1 inside the Packers 10-yard line. Like LaFleur, Ben Johnson kept his offense on the field, and it ended up in disaster. A bad snap sent over Kyle Monangai's head and resulted in nearly a 20-yard loss and a turnover on downs.
After being looked at, D.J. Moore has returned. He missed just one play and immediately picked up 12 yards on a rushing attempt. Big sigh of relief for Chicago.
D.J. Moore has walked off the field after getting hit hard on that scramble by Caleb Williams. He's being looked at on the sideline, but with Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III already out, this could make Chicago's pass-catching group even thinner.
Instead of opting for the field goal to take an early 3-0 lead, Matt LaFleur kept his offense on the field on a fourth-and-1 situation from the Chicago 7-yard line. Jordan Love's end zone throw to Christian Watson fell incomplete, giving the Bears a pivotal stop on the opening possession. Would've taken the points this early.
Chicago may have been a bit too amped up on the opening kickoff. They were penalized for unnecessary roughness, which starts the Packers off nearly at midfield.
"The Packers are reeling after losing to Denver and losing key players, including star edge Micah Parsons for the year with a torn ACL. They beat the Bears two weeks ago at home, but this is a bigger challenge on the road. Chicago is playing well and that offense against the Parsons-less defense will be a lot to handle. But I think Jordan Love comes up big." -- Pick: Packers 27, Bears 24
We shouldn't overlook Christian Watson being active tonight. Jordan Love's numbers are far superior when he has the veteran wideout at his disposal.
| Love with Watson on/off field | On | Off |
|---|---|---|
Yards per attempt | 7.9 | 6.3 |
Air yards per attempt | 10.5 | 7.3 |
Passer rating | 106.0 | 75.3 |
These clubs are wildly different depending on where they play. Specifically for the Packers, the defense is seeing a massive difference in opponents' scoring. At Lambeau Field, they are holding opponents to a league-best 14.6 points per game. On the road, that output kicks up to 25.6 points per game. And that was with Micah Parsons.
Meanwhile, Caleb Williams is far more efficient at home. The Bears quarterback has a better passer rating at Soldier Field compared to his production on the road (99.2 vs. 81.6), along with a superior yards per attempt average (7.35 vs. 6.53) and TD-INT ratio (11-1 vs. 10-5).
The biggest difference between that Week 14 contest and this one on Saturday night will be the absence of Micah Parsons. Green Bay's star pass rusher suffered a season-ending ACL tear last week, leaving a massive hole defensively. It'll be fascinating to see how defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley -- likely a hot head coaching candidate this cycle -- adapts.
You don't have to go too far back to see the last time these clubs faced one another as they squared off back in Week 14. There, the Packers won at Lambeau Field, 28-21. Caleb Williams had a chance to tie the game with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but threw an interception in the red zone. Williams completed 19 of his 35 pass attempts in the loss for 186 yards, two touchdowns, and that interception. As for Jordan Love, he completed 17-of-25 for 234 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
The Bears enter this matchup as the No. 2 seed in the NFC and currently lead the NFC North. Meanwhile, Green Bay is right behind them in the division, but is the No. 7 seed. Whoever wins this matchup can clinch a playoff berth, provided the Lions lose or tie on Sunday against Pittsburgh.
Both running back Josh Jacobs and wide receiver Christian Watson are ACTIVE after each were officially listed as questionable. Here's a look at Green Bay's full list of inactives.
Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III had already been ruled out, but it's certainly a reminder that Caleb Williams won't have some of is top weapons at receiver.
