Packers Collapse In Epic Fashion

Packers Collapse In Chicago, 31-27

A suddenly disjointed offense. A defense out of gas, and out of stops. And a special teams unit that’s an abject failure.

The Green Bay Packers wrote the recipe over the last decade for playoff collapses, and Saturday night in Chicago they served another gut-wrenching performance in a 31-27 Wildcard loss to the Bears.

“This one is going to hurt for a really, really, long time,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “When you are in complete control of a football game and the script gets flipped in the second half . . . We had opportunities to put them away and we didn’t get it done.”

The Packers entered halftime in complete command of the game, 21-3, even after a forgivable Brandon McManus miss from 55 yards in windy conditions. After all, McManus had been flawless since regaining his health from a mid-season quad injury.

Instead of serving as an inconsequential footnote, the miss foreshadowed the second-half meltdown. McManus missed another field goal and an extra point in the second half. Jordan Love, behind an offensive live that couldn’t move bodies in the run or pick up a blitz in the pass, would only lead one scoring drive in the final 30 minutes despite seven possessions. And the defense, which held tough in the third quarter, fell apart in the fourth allowing the Bears to score 25 points in the comeback.

Get the complete picture of the Packers epic collapse in our game recap.

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Gut Reactions: Packers Fall Apart Against The Bears

CHTV co-founder Aaron Nagler chats with Green Bay Packers fans worldwide after the team's epic playoff collapse against the Chicago Bears.

Bears 31 Packers 27 Game Balls & Lame Calls

This one hurts. A lot.

This one stands out. Green bay is no stranger to post season heartbreak. The 2014 NFC Championship Game stands at or near the top of playoff heartbreak. Does this one take spot #2 now?

There's the 2020 NFC Championship Game, where a legitimate Super Bowl contender fell to the buzzsaw that was that Tampa Bay defense, and Tom Brady at QB. In 2021, the Packers lost at home to San Francisco, another year where they looked like true contenders. Instead, they failed to overcome the snow and their own special teams.

But this one... This one hurts.

Don’t miss this season’s final installment of Game Balls and Lame Calls.

Packers Snap Counts vs. Chicago: Wild Card

The Packers signed QB Desmond Ridder to the 53-man roster. They released QB Clayton Tune and signed TE Messiah Swinson, WR Julian Hicks and WR Kisean Johnson to the practice squad. The Packers activated LB Niemann to the 53-man roster and placed WR Bo Melton on the injured reserve list. The Packers signed DL Anthony Campbell to the practice squad and placed WR Will Shephard on the injured reserve list that is associated with the practice squad. The Packers elevated WR Isaiah Neylor from the practice squad to the game day roster.

The players who were inactive due to injury were RT Zach Tom (knee) and WR Dontayvion Wicks (concussion). The healthy scratches were QB Desmond Ridder, DE Collin Oliver, WR Jacobie Keeney-James, and CB Jaylin Simpson. With the loss, the Packers season has ended. All members of the practice squad become unrestricted free agents automatically. The Packers will likely re-sign most of their healthy practice squad members to a reserve/futures contact over the next few weeks.

Check out the season wrap up of Packers Snap Counts.

Are The Packers Too Cheap To Pay Matt LaFleur?

CHTV co-founder Aaron Nagler welcomes in Justis Mosqueda from ACME Packing Company to discuss his recent article regarding the Packers reticence to pay market rate for their coaching staff over the years and how that informs their current situation with Matt LaFleur.

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The Lass Word: Decisions Loom

When a team ends its regular season on a four game losing streak, it’s enough to cause players to question whether they can actually win.  After playing a dominant first half against the Bears Saturday night, the Packers came out and played the second half like a team that didn’t believe they could win.  As a result, they blew a 21-3 halftime lead, and saw their season crash and burn with a 31-27 loss. 

The defeat launches Green Bay into an offseason of many critical decisions, the first of which will be the future of head coach Matt LaFleur.  Ending his seventh year at the helm with five straight losses is not exactly a recommendation for a contract extension.  His team’s repeated collapses ultimately lay squarely at his feet.  LaFleur has one year remaining on his contract, but after the morbid endings of the past two seasons, there has to be serious doubt as to whether he is the right man moving forward. 

General manager Brian Gutekunst also enters the last year of his deal.  Judgements have to be made as to whether he has done enough to build a roster capable of competing in the ever-improving NFC North.  It’s also difficult to imagine another team hiring defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their head coach, after watching his defense implode yet again, surrendering 28 second half points, including 15 points in the final six minutes. 

There should be concern about quarterback Jordan Love.  The Packers lost this game largely because Love was outplayed by Caleb Williams.  Williams is everything Love is not. A better athlete, better in the clutch, a winner.  He’s wildly inconsistent, but unlike Love, he was able to put the team on his shoulders and go win the game.  Williams isn’t going anywhere, and he’s getting better every time he takes the field.  

There must also be decisions on players such as Rashan Gary, Romeo Doubs, Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins and Quay Walker.  Cap space will be an issue and there will be no pick in the first round of the draft.  Some of them will have to be allowed to walk. 

Considering the season is now over, there’s no point in rehashing the debacle of Saturday night, so let’s take a broader look at the past five months. 

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