loading . . . Bears 31 Packers 27 Game Balls & Lame Calls This one hurts. A lot.
I think this one stands out. Green bay is no stranger to post season heartbreak. To me, the 2014 NFC Championship Game stands alone.
Does this one take spot #2 now?
I think it has too. 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. After that game, I had to take a long drive around town to clear my head.
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.
Game Balls
Jordan Love
Absolutely zero blame should go to Jordan Love in this game, to me. You may disagree, but when your QB throws for 323, four touchdowns and no interceptions...what else is there to ask of him? Yes, the offense failed at the end of the game... There's a sting to that. I'm still not sure how the first half offense and the second half offense were the same team. Are we sure there wasn't some jersey swapping going on behind the scenes?
Love made some amazing throws in this game. The Packers have their franchise QB, one that has carried them to the playoffs three years in a row. What is needed to carry them further? That's not for me to know.
The Receivers
Man, these WRs came to play.
Maybe Romeo Doubs could sense that this would be his final game in a Packers uniform. He certainly left it all out there on the field. 8 catches, 124 yards and a touchdown later... I'll miss 87 out there in the Green and Gold, with his guardian cap and his even keeled demeanor. Maybe they find a way to keep him in Green Bay for another year, but I doubt it. And maybe he just earned the Packers an even better comp pick in 2027 with his performance tonight.
It wasn't quite a breakout for Golden, but he finally got his first touchdown in the NFL, and in spectacular fashion. And maybe proved that he should have been a bigger part of the offense all along? Food for thought.
Christian Watson and Jayden Reed both added another touchdown and a couple explosives. Even without Doubs, the Packers have a killer receiving corp to look forward to seeing return to the field.
The Defense for Three Quarters
Through three quarters, the defense had only allowed six points. To a playoff team. In their own stadium. I don;t care who that team was, or frankly, what came after that. This loss isn't on the defense.
They should have been able to, for lack of a better word, coast to an easy victory, while the offense and the special teams did their part. That's complimentary football. That's winning football. Don't believe me? In the second half, the Packers only had one run gain more than a single yard.
Did they give up 25 points in the fourth quarter? Yup. Should they have still won the game? Yup. Don't blame the defense.
Lame Calls
The Special Teams
I'm tired, boss.
I'm tired of the same old s^@t from the Packers special teams. I'm tired of the rotations. I'm tired of the Packers suddenly realizing they have an All-Pro returner, or that returner suddenly deciding to play that role when the games "matter". I'm tired of yet another player (Josh Jacobs) coming out of nowhere to take those reps.
I'm tired of the missed kicks. I'm tired of losing games because of them. Seven points left off the field, because of one Brandon McManus. His first kick was 55 yards, in windy Chicago. Okay, fine. The 44 yarders and the extra point? No empathy. It's playoff football. You've got to make those. A championship team makes those kicks, and moves on because of it.
I'm tired of the lack of care that the Packers demonstrate in special teams, time after time. Season after season. Look at the Seahawks, the Rams, the elite teams of the NFL. They care about special teams. They have elite special teams.
I would never in a million years say that I won't watch the Packers next season. Hell, I'll be watching replays of this game this week. But if Rich Bissacia is the special teams coordinator next season, I'll know that this is not a team that will ever be able to claim it did all it could to win championships.
The Second Half Offense
Yes, I've sung the praises of Jordan Love and the passing offense. They struggled mightily in the second half. Two things can be true.
The offensive line has a big part in this. I mentioned it once, but it bears repeating that the Packers had only one positive run in the second half. Just... I don't know. I don't know how that is allowed to happen. The Packers have faced blitzes all season. This isn't some revolutionary new thing that the Bears just figured out how to do. I don't understand how four straight punts were allowed to happen. Which leads me to...
Matt LaFleur
This game falls at LaFleur's feet. There's no injury excuse this time. There's no way to hide from it. They had this game.
The lack of adjustment to the blitzes killed the Packers last night. There's no way to deny that, and nowhere else to point the blame.
I can't pretend to sit here and tell you that they should keep him or fire him. I don't have a crystal ball, I don't have a way to know which path is the right one. And make no mistake, there is a definite fork in the road for the Packers organization. They can clean house, or stay the course, and keep MLF on the hot seat.
Three and Out
-- The Packers would have the 20th pick in the draft, but they get Micah Parsons instead. Yes, it's still worth it. We'll have to wait for the 52nd pick to actually make an improvement to the roster. Green Bay has very minimal cap room to make free agency moves, so don't hold your breath for those. There will still be plenty of news regarding extensions and restructuring to current contracts though.
-- The Bears will move on to play either the Eagles or the 49ers next week, and I wish them nothing but the worst in their future endeavors. Our opponent to be, the Seahawks, will face the Rams or 49ers. Do I care who wins that one? Not really, no. I guess the Rams? Check back with me later.
-- I've had such a blast writing Game Balls & Lame Calls this season for Cheesehead TV. I hope you all had just as much fun hearing from me week in and week out. For as tumultuous a season as Green Bay has had, I knew I could always share the frustrating lows and euphoric highs with you all. Another season is in the books, and although it didn't end as any of us hoped, I had my share of fun.
Filed Under: FeaturedKalani JonesGame Balls and Lame Calls
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Co-Owner of the thirteen time world champion Green Bay Packers. Sometimes I write about them. Follow me on Twitter at https://x.com/kjones_in_co and on Substack for film breakdowns!
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NFL Categories: Chicago BearsGreen Bay PackersTags: Green Bay PackersChicago BearsPlayoff FootballNFC NorthMatt LaFleur
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