On my “Packer Preview” radio show on Sunday morning, I said that I thought 20 points would be enough for the Pack to win the game.
Boom.
I neglected to mention that they might also need a perfectly placed middle finger.
The symbolism was exquisite, as was the execution on that fateful last-second field goal try by the Pack’s special teams unit, one we learned after the game was challenged by its coach to block a kick at some point during the game. The team had noticed that the Chicago Bears’ guards were susceptible to getting pushed back.
Enter T.J. Slaton, who knocked his assignment on his butt, allowing Karl Brooks to rise up and get just enough of the ball to end the game and, likely, Chicago’s hopes in 2024.
It also allowed Packer nation to exhale after a frustrating afternoon where we watched the Pack make Caleb Williams look like the second coming of Lamar Jackson in the first half, and Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love once again made numerous mistakes in the red zone.
Every week, it seems, we look back at what might have been in the red zone, with two trips ending with turnovers on Sunday. First, it’s Love sailing a pass over Tucker Kraft’s head and into the arms of a Bears defender. Then it’s LaFleur, again ignoring his most lethal offensive weapon, Josh Jacobs, and trying ill-advised passes or end-arounds.
It’s a good thing they were playing the Bears. I’m not sure how many teams they would have beaten on Sunday. Besides Jacobs, Christian Watson was the offensive hero this week, whose career day was a long time coming. Green Bay needed every one of the 150 yards he gained through the air and with his long strides.
It was a weird game, with the Pack getting very few possessions. They reached the red zone five of the six times they had the ball but found the end zone just twice. Chicago destroyed them in time of possession (just 23 minutes) and only ran 43 plays on offense. But the Packers made the most of them, averaging 8.5 yards per play. Love threw a grand total of 17 passes in the game.
The defense was a mixed bag. They lost Jaire Alexander early in the game when his sore knee acted up on him. They may have to shut him down for a little while, further stressing a position group that looked razor thin on draft day, then when the season started, and continuing today. It didn’t kill them against a mediocre offense like the Bears, but it could get ugly with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and Detroit Lions looming.
Jeff Hafley’s crew had no answers for Williams’ legs in the first half, somehow surprised that he might be dangerous with the ball in his hands. After a 60-yard rushing performance in the first half, the Packers held him to 10 in the second.
His running threat impacted the pass rush. The Packers only sacked him once until the final series, when they got him on the ground twice. Kinglsey Enagbare nearly had a third straight. But when he whiffed, Williams connected on a big third-down play to keep their hopes alive.
The pass rush has to get a whole lot more consistent and productive, especially with the issues at cornerback. The defensive coaches need to take a long, hard look at the tape of this game and ask themselves why Quay Walker is playing 100% of the snaps. He’s an absolute liability right now, taking bad angles and whiffing on tackles left and right. It’s time to throw Edgerrin Cooper out there full-time – maybe even give fellow rookie Ty’Ron Hopper a chance to show what he can do.
It’s not often in recent years that we can say special teams saved the day, but Brooks’ clutch block may have actually saved the season. A loss wouldn’t have doomed the Pack, but it would have made their path to a Wild Card spot a lot dicier and put a ton of pressure on themselves for their next game against their nemesis.
An added bonus on Sunday night was scrolling through TikTok and watching countless videos of Bears fans watching the final play in disbelief and horror. For me, it was a top-10 all-time TikTok night. I couldn’t stop scrolling.
Maybe Brooks’ well-timed tip will be the tipping point for the Pack to begin a second-half surge like we saw last season. For now, we’ll step back and appreciate a record 11th-straight win over the hated and hapless Bears and a much-needed first divisional win.
A walk-off win at Soldier Field, courtesy of a well-placed middle finger? Chef’s kiss.
