Packers-Bears Final Score: Chicago wins 24-22 on walk-off field goal, Packers get #7 seed

The game ended up not mattering due to Washington’s win, but the Packers let their win streak against the Bears fall.

The Green Bay Packers can begin planning for a trip to Philadelphia next weekend.

In a matter of seconds, both results that the Packers needed in order to earn the NFC’s #6 playoff seed fell apart. The Washington Commanders got a last-second victory over the Dallas Cowboys to clinch the #6 seed, but seconds earlier, the Packers blew a late lead and allowed the Chicago Bears to upset them at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay fought back from deficits of 14-3 in the first half and 21-13 in the fourth quarter, taking a 22-21 lead with under one minute left on a 55-yard Brandon McManus field goal. But Caleb Williams led the Bears on a game-winning drive, getting a 51-yard response from Cairo Santos to give the Bears a walk-off win — their first against the Packers since the 2018 season.

Yet again, the Packers committed plenty of mistakes to get in an early hole. After two punts to start the game, a fumble by Jayden Reed deep in Packers territory set up the Bears’ first touchdown. The team also saw two significant injuries occur in the second quarter, with Christian Watson hurting his knee on a non-contact injury and Jordan Love jamming his elbow. Neither player returned to the game, with Malik Willis coming on to try to lead yet another comeback.

They managed to retake the lead, but with too much time left for the Bears, who broke their own ten-game losing streak and their 11-game losing streak to the Packers. Chicago finishes the year 5-12, while the Packers end the regular season 11-6. Seconds later, the Commanders completed their own comeback win over the Cowboys, ensuring that the Packers would have ended up as the 7th seed regardless of their own result.

Green Bay’s game time for their Wild Card matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles next week will be announced later today.

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First Quarter Recap

The Packers won the coin toss and as usual elected to receive the opening kickoff, but were flagged for holding on the kick to set up the offense at its own 15-yard line. After picking up one quick first down on a run by Josh Jacobs, the Packers had to punt. Daniel Whelan made a critical play on the punt, however, using every bit of his 6-foot-5 height to get his hands on a bad, high snap from Matt Orzech and eventually getting the punt off.

The Bears’ first drive was a mess as well, however. Rashan Gary sacked Caleb Williams on the first play after Williams fumbled the snap, then Javon Bullard tackled Cole Kmet for a loss on second down. A short screen pass on third down led to a punt, but the Packers netted a few yards on the exchange of punts, starting their second drive at their own 40.

Additionally, the Bears’ punt ensured that they did not score a single opening-drive touchdown all season long.

Jordan Love’s touch looked off on the ensuing drive, and the Packers elected to punt from the other side of the 50. On the punt, the Bears fooled Green Bay’s coverage team, with the return man running to one side of the field away from the football. One of Chicago’s vices instead dropped back to return the kick, weaving through a wide-open field for a 94-yard touchdown to open the scoring with a 7-0 Bears lead. It was effectively the same play that the Rams ran on the Seattle Seahawks ten years ago, to similar effect.

Finally, the Packers’ offense got moving through the air, with Love hitting Dontayvion Wicks for 15 yards and Luke Musgrave for 19 yards to reach the Bears’ 22-yard line. However, they had to settle for a field goal attempt, and Brandon McManus hit from 37 yards out to put them on the board.

After the Bears went three-and-out again, the Packers took over and promptly shot themselves in the foot once again. On the first play of the next drive, Jayden Reed took a jet sweep off left end but fumbled after taking a perfect punch to the football from Jaylon Johnson. Former Packers safety Jonathan Owens recovered, giving Chicago the football at the end of the first quarter deep in Packers territory.

Second Quarter Recap

Two plays into the second quarter, the Bears found the end zone on offense. Following a screen pass to D.J. Moore that got them to the four-yard line, D’Andre Swift snuck through the middle for a short score and a 14-3 lead.

As the Packers tried to get moving again, they suffered a series of injuries that could prove to be massive heading into the postseason. First, Christian Watson went down clutching his right knee while running a route and was carted to the locker room. Then a few plays later, Jordan Love left the game shaking his throwing elbow after taking a hit in the backfield, forcing Malik Willis into the game.

Willis immediately delivered, throwing a dart to Tucker Kraft for 20 yards, then handed off to Josh Jacobs for a 9-yard touchdown run to pull the Packers right back into the game at 14-10. That score made it eight games in a row with a rushing touchdown for Jacobs, breaking Paul Hornung’s team record.

Green Bay’s defense forced a punt on the Bears’ next drive, and Willis came back out to try to give the Packers a lead for the first time. After Jayden Reed managed to track an underthrown deep ball from Willis, hauling it in for 31 yards on 3rd-and-8, Chris Brooks turned up the middle for a big run of 13 yards to reach the red zone. The Packers again had to settle for a field goal, however, kicking a 30-yarder on 4th-and-4 to pull Green Bay to within one point just after the two-minute warning.

Chicago returned the ensuing kickoff to the 45-yard line, giving them good field position for an attempt at a two-minute drill. They converted a 3rd-and-7 early to get into Packers territory, but a false start and a couple of throwaways from Caleb Williams forced a punt with 37 seconds left. The Packers chose to run the ball and let the clock run off, taking them into halftime down 14-13.

Third Quarter Recap

The Bears started the third quarter with a third down conversion from Caleb Williams on an out route to Keenan Allen, then converted a 4th-and-5 just across midfield with a pass to Roschon Johnson. Chicago got too cute, however, running a reverse pass to Allen, who threw a lazy interception to Xavier McKinney — giving the Pro Bowl safety eight on the season.

The Packers gave the ball right back, however. Tucker Kraft chipped safety Kevin Byard on a play-action dropback, but Byard drilled Willis, who was looking to the left side of the field, forcing a fumble that Chicago recovered at their own 46. They just barely got across midfield before punting again, and a 27-yarder set the Packers up at their own 16.

The run game got working, with Chris Brooks carrying the load on the next drive. With some spinner action in the backfield, he picked up a few big gains, including a long 23-yarder to get the Packers across the 50, and they would face a 4th-and-3 from the 37 to start the final quarter.

Fourth Quarter Recap

The Packers could not convert. Matt LaFleur called another jet sweep to Reed but the Bears were alert to the play, stopping him for a loss. After the turnover on downs, Chicago managed to convert a 3rd-and-6 as Williams evaded a free-rushing Edgerrin Cooper and completed a pass to D.J. Moore just at the sticks. The pair connected again for another conversion three plays later inside the Packers’ 40, then Moore’s athleticism took over, as he took a screen pass and weaved 32 yards into the end zone for a touchdown.

Up 20-13, the Bears went for two to try to extend their lead to 9 points, and another trick play to Allen was stopped. Chicago appeared to get a second chance, however, when the Packers were penalized for defensive holding, but they inexplicably kicked the extra point instead of going for two again from the one-yard line. That kept the game within one possession with ten minutes remaining.

Willis connected with Reed for a gain of 17 yards to start the next drive, but then facing pressure, he scrambled and took a sack instead of throwing the ball away, setting up a 3rd-and-long. Tucker Kraft picked up 7 yards as a check-down, resulting in another Packers punt, this one going into the end zone for a touchback. Chicago went three-and-out, though, and a short punt set up Green Bay with the football at midfield.

A Willis scramble for a first down was erased by a holding call, then he took a sack to set up 3rd-and-21, but two plays later, the Packers were in the end zone. Malik Heath made an amazing leaping grab on third down for a 41-yard gain to move the chains, and Emanuel Wilson then took a handoff and bounced outside, going up the sideline for a 21-yard touchdown.

The Packers’ two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, however, as the football appeared to slip out of his hand as he seemingly tried to hold on to the football. On replay, it appeared that Willis had hit his throwing hand on the long completion to Heath and had trouble gripping the ball on the two-pointer.

Taking over with about four minutes left, the Bears got two short runs to set up a 3rd-and-3, where Moore made an absurd catch through the defense of Eric Wilson. Chicago picked up another first down on the ground before the two-minute warning, forcing the Packers to get a stop and use all three timeouts in order to get the football back.

Chicago was flagged for a hold on first down, setting up a 1st-and-20. And then disaster struck: D.J. Moore caught a short pass and looked to turn up field, but Carrington Valentine knocked the football out of his hands for a fumble, Javon Bullard scooped it up, giving the Packers the ball with all three timeouts near midfield.

A short pass and two unsuccessful runs by the offense put the Packers in a terrible situation: facing 4th-and-4 from the 37-yard line. With Matt LaFleur and Rich Bisaccia discussing the decision, they sent McManus out to attempt a 55-yard field goal.

McManus drilled it, giving Green Bay a 22-19 lead.

He kicked off to the Bears, who returned it to the 20 with 48 seconds and one timeout remaining. Kingsley Enagbare tracked down Caleb Williams for a sack, but was flagged for a horse collar tackle to give Chicago a free 15 yards. Williams then found Rome Odunze for 14 yards to midfield, and a Williams scramble put them just across midfield as they used a timeout. Williams then managed to get off an incomplete pass at the 46 to bring up 3rd down. The Bears took an illegal shift penalty with the play clock winding down, pushing them back to midfield with 15 seconds left.

But the Bears had enough time for a pass for a first down over the middle and a spike. Williams hit Moore for enough yardage to move the chains, and Williams’ spike set up Santos for a 51-yarder. Santos slipped it inside the left upright, sending the Bears’ sideline onto the field in celebration.