By Kevin Fishbain, Adam Jahns, Matt Schneidman and RJ Kraft
Packers quarterback Jordan Love engineered a fourth quarter comeback and defensive lineman Karl Brooks blocked a 46-yard field goal attempt to preserve a 20-19 victory for Green Bay.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams orchestrated a late-game drive with a key 21-yard completion on 4th-and-3 to Rome Odunze to keep Chicago alive, but Brooks’ block of Cairo Santos’ kick sealed the win for Green Bay.
PACKERS BLOCK THE FIELD GOAL FOR THE WIN.#GBvsCHI pic.twitter.com/gq8zbz965C
— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Williams ran for a season-high 70 yards, while throwing for 231 in his first game with new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown (replacing Shane Waldron, who was fired earlier in the week). Chicago’s ground game had a strong day, running for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
The Packers trailed the Bears 19-14 with 3:40 to go. But Love connected with wide receiver Christian Watson on a 60-yard catch-and-run to get the Packers down to the 14-yard line. Two plays later, Love kept it from 1-yard out for the go-ahead score with 2:59 to go.
Chicago’s heartbreaking defeat is its 11th straight in the oldest rivalry in the NFL and its fourth straight this season. The win moves coach Matt LaFleur to 11-0 against the Bears.
In Week 12, Green Bay (7-3) will be home for the San Francisco 49ers, while Chicago (4-6) will host the Minnesota Vikings.
Red zone woes remain an issue for Packers
The Packers entered Sunday’s game 29th in red-zone touchdown percentage. They went 3-for-5 in the red zone in Chicago — better than their approximately 47 percent success rate through the first nine games — but failed to score any points on two of their trips inside the 10-yard line. On one, Love sailed a pass over tight end Tucker Kraft’s head on third down in the second quarter while up 7-3 for his 11th interception of the season. On the other, the Packers unsuccessfully went for it early in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line down five points. LaFleur’s decision almost came back to bite them, but Brooks’ block saved the day to make it 11 wins in a row against the Bears as the Packers advanced to 7-3. — Matt Schneidman, Packers beat writer
Brown guides new-look Bears’ offense
It was a successful debut for Brown, who was named the new Bears offensive coordinator on Tuesday. Admittedly, the bar was set low by Waldron, who was fired on Tuesday morning. In his last game in charge, the Bears scored only three points against the New England Patriots, who have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Brown faced a formidable Packers defense that ranked 11th in scoring and 12th in total yards heading into Sunday in his first game as Chicago’s new play caller.
With Brown, Williams seemingly played loose. His best play was his scramble and 16-yard completion to Odunze on third-and-19 in the final minutes. It kept the game alive for the Bears. But Williams also piled up yards on the ground. He finished with nine carries for a career-high 70 yards. The bulk of his yards came on scrambles but he also had some zone-read runs. The best part was that he was decisive when running. There were other new wrinkles from Brown.
The Bears’ offense featured more motions and condensed formations. There also was a concerted effort to get receiver DJ Moore the ball in different ways. In the Bears’ three previous games, they were 6-for-40 on third downs. They were much better on Sunday, going 9-for-16. — Adam Jahns, Bears beat writer
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Green Bay’s defense bends but blocks
Entering Week 11, the Bears have allowed the second-most sacks in the league. Williams was sacked nine times last Sunday against the Patriots alone. The Packers inconsistent pass rush hardly showed up until late in the fourth quarter, mustering only one sack until the Bears’ final drive of the game. That’s when defensive tackle T.J. Slaton and defensive end Rashan Gary sacked Williams on consecutive plays to set up a third-and-19.
However, defensive end Kingsley Enagbare whiffed on third down to allow Williams to hit Odunze over the middle for 16 yards. Williams then hit Odunze on a fade with cornerback Keisean Nixon in coverage to convert fourth-and-3. One more 12-yard completion to receiver Keenan Allen set up Santos for a 46-yard field-goal try that would’ve won the game, but Brooks, a second-year defensive tackle, blocked it and the Packers somehow escaped with a victory despite their defense cracking when it mattered most. — Schneidman
Elusive Love burns Bears
The Bears’ defense made two critical stops in the red zone, holding the Packers scoreless on those two possessions, but their inability to get to Love was the difference. They registered only two QB hits and one sack, and on Love’s biggest plays of the afternoon, he had plenty of time in the pocket or was able to scramble and make the throw. Love was 13-of-17 passing for 261 yards, including completions of 60 and 48 yards to Watson. Josh Jacobs also had a busy day with 134 total yards of offense. Montez Sweat isn’t 100 percent, and he had a couple hurries of Love, but this is a game where the Bears needed him to get that game-changing play. — Kevin Fishbain, Bears beat writer
2013, Robbie Gould, missed 47-yard field goal on second down in overtime loss to the Vikings.
2019, Eddy Pineiro, missed 41-yard field goal on second down in loss to the Chargers.
2024: Cairo Santos, 46-yard field goal blocked on second down in loss to the Packers.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) November 17, 2024
Required reading
- NFL Week 11 live updates: Chiefs-Bills, insights, league scoreboard, inactives
- What’s it like to switch sides in the Bears-Packers rivalry? Weird, painful, rewarding
- Packers second-half predictions: Jordan Love’s rebound, playoff finish and more
- Football, fatherhood and new opportunities: Get to know new Bears OC Thomas Brown
(Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
