Bears Fall Just Short in Green Bay, But This Rivalry Feels Fun Again

The Bears may have lost a close one in Green Bay, but one thing is clear: this isn’t the same old Bears, and even Packers fans would probably agree that this rivalry finally feels fun again.

Both offenses started slow, trading punts in a scoreless first quarter. Chicago actually opened with a spark—C.J. Gardner-Johnson snagged an interception on Green Bay’s first drive, giving the Bears early momentum. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t capitalize. The offensive line struggled badly, shutting down the run game and leaving Caleb Williams with little time to throw. Through three drives, the Bears had just 20 total yards.

Green Bay struck first to open the second quarter. The Packers marched 80 yards down the field, and every time Chicago looked like they might hold firm on a third down, Green Bay answered with a big play. Jordan Love capped the drive with a 23-yard touchdown to Christian Watson, putting the Packers up 7–0.

The Bears answered with a physical, run-heavy drive of their own. But as has been the case too often this season, once they reached the red zone, the offense stalled out. Chicago settled for a field goal, trimming it to 7–3 with just 1:14 left in the half.

All they needed to do was make a stop.

Instead, Cairo Santos kicked short, allowing Green Bay to start near their own 40. One play later, the Bears' momentum evaporated as Love hit Bo Melton for a 45-yard touchdown, just his third catch of the year. Just like that, the Bears were down 14–3 heading into halftime.

Chicago opened the second half by forcing Green Bay backward on their first possession—exactly what they needed. The offense followed with its best drive of the day, mixing runs and passes beautifully. They punched in a touchdown and converted a tough two-point try thanks to Monangai fighting through contact and a big push from his line. Suddenly, it was 14–11.

But explosive plays continued to haunt the Bears. Facing 3rd-and-3, Love found Watson on a crossing route, and Watson slipped free for a 41-yard touchdown, stretching the Packers’ lead to 21–11.

Green Bay handed the Bears a gift on the ensuing kickoff by sending it out of bounds, and Chicago took advantage with a couple of big passes—though again, the drive stalled in scoring range. The Bears settled for another field goal, cutting it to 21–14.

The defense stepped up once more, forcing a three-and-out and giving the offense the ball with a chance to tie it entering the fourth quarter.

And they did.

The Bears put together a 17-play, 83-yard masterpiece, powered by a strong run game, and tied things at 21–21. Everything was setting up for a classic finish.

But again, third down killed them. On 3rd-and-2, Josh Jacobs was swallowed up by three Bears defenders in the backfield… only for him to break free and explode for a 21-yard gain that should have been a loss. That mistake set up another Packers touchdown, putting Chicago down 28–21 with 3:30 to go.

Still, there was no panic. This Bears team has been built for late-game theatrics, and nobody watching felt like the game was over.

Caleb Williams took the offense 60 yards in five plays, setting up 4th-and-1 from the Packers’ 14-yard line with 27 seconds left. With two timeouts, running the ball was an option—but they had just been stuffed on a similar attempt the play before. Instead, the Bears called a bootleg left for Williams.

Pressure came fast. Caleb fired into the end zone… intercepted. He missed the window by a split second. And just like that, the Bears fell short.

Am I upset? A little. But honestly, I believe in this team more after this loss than some wins we've seen this season. Chicago drops from first in the NFC to seventh, but that’s more a reflection of how deep the NFC is right now than anything else.

Caleb finished 19/35 for 186 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception—not his sharpest outing, but far from a collapse. D’Andre Swift led the run game with 63 yards on 13 carries, and Luther Burden III paced the receivers with 67 yards on four catches.

Missing Rome Odunze and losing Kyler Gordon right before kickoff definitely hurt. That’s the reality. But the Bears proved Sunday they can go toe-to-toe with Green Bay again. And we get Round 2 in Week 16.

For now, the focus shifts to Cleveland. The Bears are still in the hunt, still above .500, and still chasing a winning season—something many fans weren’t sure was possible entering the year.

This team fights. This team competes. And this team can go much further.

Let’s get back to work.