Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur boosted his record against the Chicago Bears to 10-0, as the Packers beat the Chicago Bears in a 17-9 victory at Lambeau Field on Jan. 7 to clinch a wild card spot in the NFL Playoffs.
Quarterback Jordan Love finished the game completing 27-of-32 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns. The big day from Love put him over the 4,000-yard milestone on the season.
Dontayvion Wicks was on the receiving end of both touchdown passes from Love.
Jayden Reed was the biggest benefactor of Love’s big day, as the Michigan State alum totaled 112 yards on four receptions. Bo Melton had another big day for the offense, as he totaled 62 yards on five receptions.
As for the run game, Aaron Jones led the attack, rushing for 111 yards on 22 carries.
“I think that we have been getting better every game,” said Love, on the state of the offense heading into the playoffs. “Every week, we are finding ways to improve and get better, and now we are in the dance. So we are going to continue doing the same thing that we have been doing and try to find ways to get better, but I like where our offense is moving. We are moving in the right direction.”
The Packers’ defense made life difficult for Bears quarterback Justin Fields and company. Fields completed 11-of-16 passes for 148 yards. Khalil Herbert was the leading rusher for Chicago on the day, recording 28 yards on 12 carries. Superstar receiver D.J. Moore was held to just 64 yards on four receptions.
The Bears opened the game with a 10-play drive that resulted in a 50-yard field goal from kicker Cairo Santos. Green Bay responded with a 12-play, 52-yard drive. During the drive, Jones accounted for 34 rushing yards, while Wicks caught a 19-yard reception. After Love was sacked on third-and-6 from the Bears’ 15-yard line, Anders Carlson was asked to attempt a 41-yard field goal, which sailed wide left.
The Packers made up for the missed field goal as the defense forced Chicago to punt. Taking over at their own eight-yard line, Love and the offense moved quickly. On the second play of the drive, Love connected with Reed for a 32-yard gain. A few plays later, Melton picked up 10 yards, and then Jones added another 12 on the ground. Facing a third-and-one from Chicago’s 10-yard line, Love dropped back and connected with Wicks for a 10-yard touchdown to score the first touchdown of the game.
After Santos connected on another field goal, this time from 39 yards out, Green Bay took over from its 25-yard line with 1:17 left in the second half. The offense immediately moved down the field, with Love connecting with Melton to gain 24 yards. With an added 13-yard reception from Jones, Green Bay found itself with a first-and-10 from the Chicago 38-yard line. Two plays later, Love tested fate and threw a jump ball to the corner of the end zone, which was almost intercepted by a Bears defender. Insult added to injury for Green Bay, as Love connected with Wicks for a three-yard gain, but the referee ruled that Wicks was tackled in bounds and the clock struck zero to go into halftime. Though Green Bay did not have an opportunity to attempt a field goal, the Packers still led 7-6.
“That last play, we had double out routes called on both sides, and when I got the snap, I felt the corner tricking it pretty hard. So I wish that I would have just thrown it out of bounds,” said Love. “I threw it to Wicks, and the DB made a great play and tackled him going backwards. So that is a play that I will learn from and just stash that in the memory bank and move forward.”
Coming out of halftime, Green Bay immediately got a spark, as the team moved 46 yards in four plays. Marching down to the Bear’s 12-yard line, Love connected with Wicks for the rookie receiver’s second touchdown of the game.
“He is just resilient,” said LaFleur, on how he was able to perform so well in a playoff-like environment. “Those are things that you cannot coach. You can sit there and talk about it until you are blue in the face; however, that is something that he possesses, and I admire him for that.”
On Chicago’s ensuing drive, Fields and the Bears’ offense used its rushing attack to work down to the Packers’ 48-yard line. Faced with third-and-seven, Packers linebackers Quay Walker and Rashan Gary and defensive lineman Karl Brooks sacked Fields for a three-yard loss, forcing Chicago to punt.
Green Bay capitalized on the forced punt, as it rode Jones and Melton to 24 yards on the first five plays of the drive. With the ball at midfield, Love rolled left and ran up field, but was hit by Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson and fumbled the football, which was recovered by Chicago.
Taking over at its own 42-yard line, Chicago was faced with a third-and-seven. Fields dropped back and completed a 12-yard pass to Moore to pick up a first down. As Moore dropped to the ground to make the catch, it appeared the ball moved in his hands, which resulted in LaFleur throwing the red challenge flag. The play was upheld, and Green Bay was penalized with a timeout. Fields responded on the next play, by rolling to his left and firing a 27-yard strike to tight end Cole Kmet, to set up first-and-10 from the Green Bay 17-yard line. Two plays later on third-and-10, Fields’ pass intended for Kmet was broken up by Packers defensive back Carrington Valentine, setting up a 35-yard field goal from Santos.
Leading 14-9, Love connected with Reed on the first play of the drive for a 59-yard gain down to the Bears’ 13-yard line. On third-and-four from the Bears’ seven-yard line, Love fired a dart to the back of the end zone intended for Melton.
As Melton came to the ground, the ball appeared to be bobbled and it was called an incomplete pass. After the referees got together to discuss the call, the ruling was changed to a touchdown. Upon further review, it was ruled that Melton did not possess the ball before stepping out of bounds, and Green Bay was forced to settle for a 25-yard field goal from Carlson.
Chicago responded by driving down to the Packers’ 43-yard line where, on third-and-five, Fields’ pass was batted down, setting up a fourth-and-five. Gary jumped offsides, and Chicago was awarded a first down. While Chicago picked up the first down, Fields was forced to leave the game, stemming from a hit earlier on the drive. He was only forced to miss one play, though, and after a holding call, Brooks sacked Fields to set up a third-and-22 from midfield. Fields’ next pass was thrown too high, and Chicago was once again forced to punt.
Backed up to its own five-yard line, Green Bay eventually faced a third-and-two from its own 14-yard line. On the crucial down, Love once again connected with Reed, this time for 15 yards. After Reed’s reception, Green Bay rode the legs of Jones for 14 yards, before facing a third-and-seven from its own 43-yard line. On the third-down play, Love stepped up in the pocket, rolled to his right and threw a pass across his body, which connected with tight end Tucker Kraft to pick up the much-needed first down.
Green Bay picked up one more first down to ice the game, as three kneel downs from Love put the Packers into the playoffs. During the last drive of the game, Jones became the sixth player in Green Bay history to reach the 8,000 total yard mark.
Green Bay will now take on the Dallas Cowboys after the Los Angeles Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, setting up a matchup against former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.
“It is going to be great for our team, in terms of we have to go on the road and earn it,” said LaFleur. “Certainly going to Dallas is not going to be an easy task. I have got a lot of respect for what Coach McCarthy has been able to establish there – they have a lot of great players … so we are going to have to be at our best to go down there and come away with a victory.”
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