Packers collapse against the Bears

Packers Hand Game To Bears, 22-16

For the second consecutive week, the Green Bay Packers suffered an injury to a franchise cornerstone while blowing a second-half lead. Jordan Love was knocked out of the Saturday night contest in Chicago with a concussion, as the Packers handed the game, and the division, to the Bears, 22-16 in overtime. “It should hurt,” coach Matt LaFleur said about his team’s mindset after the game. “We had opportunities and we’re up two scores late in the game. Unfortunately, it flipped pretty quick.”

The Bears now have a 1.5-game lead in the division with just two regular season games remaining. Green Bay led 16-6 with 5:49 remaining when an old nightmare began to reemerge. Offensive red zone failures, a botched onside kick, and a long, walk-off touchdown pass by the home team all harkened back to the fateful 2014 NFC Championship game. Love marched the offense up and down the field in the two drives he completed. The first ended on fourth-and-1 at the Chicago seven-yard line on an incompletion. He again orchestrated a drive inside the Bear 10-yard line, but the Packers settled for a Brandon McManus field goal early in the second quarter, 3-0.

Three plays into the third drive, Love stepped around pressure deep in the pocket and right into Chicago end Austin Booker. Love tried to cradle at the last second to protect himself, but Booker – with a full six yards’ worth of steam – led with the crown of his helmet to meet Love’s. The helmet-to-helmet crack cost the Bears 15 yards, but more importantly ended Love’s night with a concussion.

Be sure to get caught up on everything that happened last night at Soldier Field in our game recap.

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Gut Reactions: Packers let one slip away

CHTV co-founder Aaron Nagler chats with Green Bay Packers fans worldwide after the team's 22-16 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears.

Bears 22 Packers 16 Game Balls and Lame Calls

Last week's result felt, emotionally, like a repeat of the 2014 NFC Championship game. This one just was a repeat of that game.

At the two minute warning in the fourth quarter, the Packers were up 16-9, were about to get the ball back, and could regain control of the NFC North. Instead, what followed was an absolute disaster.

A botched onside recovery, a costly face mask, and a miscommunication at the line of scrimmage, and the Bears had the game heading into overtime. No problem though, right? Yes, problem. The Packers go on to fumble their opening possession away, and can only watch as the Bears marched down to throw a game winning touchdown pass. If only there had been a two point conversion allowed somewhere, and it could have been a perfect reenactment.

The Packers have probably lost an opportunity to win the NFC North for the first time since 2021, and will spend the rest of the season desperately trying to preserve their playoff lives.

Check out Game Balls and Lame Calls from the Packers collapse in Chicago.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Packers vs Bears

Aaron Nagler hands out the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from the Green Bay Packers Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Packers Snap Counts Vs. Chicago: Week 16, 2025

The Packers activated Edge Brenton Cox to the 53-man roster and placed Micah Parsons on injured reserve. The Packers did not elevate anyone from the practice squad. TE Josh Whyle, RT Zach Tom, and Safety Evan Williams were inactive due to injury. DTs Quinton Bohanna and Nazir Stackhouse were healthy scratches. With Zach Tom out, Jordan Morgan rather than Darian Kinnard got the start at right tackle. Javon Bullard got the start at safety in place of Evan Williams. Donovan Jennings was active but did not play.

Find out who played and how much with Packers Snap Counts.

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The Lass Word: Red Zone Woes Doom Packers

The record books will show the Packers lost this game by blowing a ten point lead in the fourth quarter and overtime.  In reality, Green Bay had lost this game well before that.  They lost it by scoring just nine points on five trips to the red zone.  This offense somehow manages to play its worst football inside the opponents’ ten yard line.  With just one or two touchdowns in those red zone trips this game would have been in the bag early on.  But they can’t do it because their offensive line is unable to muscle up and power the ball over the goal line.  That forced the quarterback to make hairpin throws in heavy traffic, and Malik Willis just isn’t wired for that. 

It always hurts to lose to the Bears, especially like this.  But what the Packers really lost Saturday night was the opportunity to play a home game in the playoffs.  Green Bay won’t win the division.  It’s still possible mathematically, but the Bears would have to lose both of their remaining games, and the Packers would have to win both of theirs, and that’s not going to happen.  Green Bay now must focus on just making the post season.  That will require at least one more win and a Lions loss.  Even if they get in, they will likely have to start on the road, quite possibly right back at Soldier Field.  You thought those Bears fans were amped up for this game? 

Matt LaFleur had no update on Jordan Love, who left early in the concussion protocol.  It seems unfair that a defender can strike an offensive player in the head, be penalized for it, but remain in the game, while the offensive player is forced to sit out in the protocol.  I’m sure the Bears were happy to trade fifteen yards for the elimination of Love from the game…

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