Its not about the start. Its about when the clock hits 0:00.
The Green Bay Packers traveled to bitter rival Chicago this last Sunday afternoon, and escaped with a victory that by all rights should have been a loss.
The Packers started off the game with all the momentum, driving down right away for a score, but after that, the Chicago Bears offense began to unlock to potential of their first overall pick Caleb Williams.
With a new offensive coordinator calling the plays, Williams looked like a veteran for the Bears offense, making tight window throws, and escaping pressures to keep plays and drives alive by using his legs and while also urging Head Coach Matt Eberflus to go for it on 4th downs which they went 3-3 doing. The Green Bay defense rarely had an answer for the Bears offense the whole game, both being gashed by the run game, and exposed during the passing game.
Chicago took a 10-7 lead into halftime, thinking for the first time in 11 tries, they could take down their longtime rival.
Green Bay answered back in the second half with their first drive of the third quarter with a Josh Jacobs rushing score to make it 14-13.
Chicago would then answer back with a touchdown drive to make it 19-13, putting pressure on the Green Bay offense who had barely seen the field on Sunday. Green Bay finished the game with only 23:39, to the Bears’ 36:21.
With 4 minutes left in the game, Jordan Love marched the Packers down to another score to make it 20-19, thanks to a Christian Watson 60 yard reception to set up the Packers offense in the Bears redzone. Watson made a diving catch, and wasn’t touched ‘down’ allowing him to get back up and run the ball down to the Bears’ 14 yard line.
The Bears got the ball back with plenty of time to drive down the field to kick the game winner, and seal the Victory over Green Bay for the first time since 2018.
Williams and the Bears offense did just that moving the ball down the field while also converting multiple 3rd and 4th Down attempts, driving down to get kicker Cairo Santos in field goal range.
As the clock hit 0:00 and the kick went in the air, the big paw of Green Bay defensive lineman Karl Brooks went up, and hit the ball just enough to cause the attempt to go no good, Green Bay would survive, breaking the hearts of the Bears and their fans.
With the win, Green Bay improved to 7-3 on the season, trying to keep pace with the Detroit Lions, and the Minnesota Vikings, while Chicago dropped to a frustrating 4-6. Green Bay will host the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Bears will host division rival Minnesota in Chicago.
Photo Credit: The NFL, ESPN, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears
Comments