Final Score: Packers 20 Bears 19
Chicago fell to the Green Bay this week in yet another heartbreaker. Even though Bears fans should be accustomed to losses like this, this one still managed to hit home. Whether this is because Sunday marked the 11th straight loss to the rival Packers, or that it represented the 4th straight loss in a season that began with so much hope, is unimportant. What does matter is the fact that Caleb Williams looked as sharp as he did in weeks 5 and 6, and the unfortunate reality that the Chicago Bears always find a way to lose the football game.
Glaring Issues
Team Can’t Buy a Win
This team simply cannot buy a win right now. Under the leadership of head coach Matt Eberflus, a losing culture has been instilled. We can cut Eberflus slack for his first season. The Bears finished 3-14 that year, but General Manager Ryan Poles didn’t do the head coach any favors. This was the year where Poles went all-in on the rebuild; the roster was very weak. Even though Eberflus wasn’t expected to lead the team to wins that year, that long season instilled a losing culture within the locker room and surrounding the team. It can be tough to shake that feeling.
When Bears players hit the field on Sunday afternoons, they don’t feel invincible. They don’t feel like no matter what they do, things will work out in the end. Instead, many are probably filled with the overarching feeling that no matter how well they play, something will go wrong, and the team will lose. That is a deflating feeling that the team needs to rid itself of.
Bright Spots
Williams Looked Comfortable Under Thomas Brown
The positive news to take out of Sunday is the way that Caleb Williams played. Williams seemed to return to form. He completed 23 of his 31 passes and accounted for 231 passing yards. He didn’t throw any touchdowns, but avoided any turnovers. He was decisive and appeared comfortable running the offense. In possibly the largest improvement from the Shane Waldron-era, Williams heavily utilized his legs. He racked up 70 yards on 9 carries in the most impressive rushing performance of his young career. This is what we need to see out of the rookie QB; his creativity and ‘wildness’ is what makes him so special.
Standout Performers
Rome Odunze
Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze added another solid performance to his resume on Sunday. While 65 yards on 5 receptions doesn’t necessarily jump off of the page, Odunze’s budding relationship with Caleb Williams was apparent. With the game on the line late in the 4th quarter, Odunze was the guy Caleb felt comfortable going to. Rome reeled in a 16-yard reception on 3rd-and-19, and then a massive 21-yard reception on 4th-and-3 to keep Chicago’s chances alive and eventually set up a manageable game-winning field goal attempt.
Key Drive of the Game
While both teams had important possessions in this rivalry matchup, Green Bay’s final touchdown drive takes the cake. Jordon Love and the Packers offense took the field with only 4:17 remaining in the 4th quarter, trailing 19-14. Catapulted by a 60-yard bomb to WR Christian Watson, the group trounced 78 yards down the field and into the end zone in only a minute and 17 seconds. This ended up serving as the game winning drive thanks to Karl Brooks’ field goal blocking heroics.