The Chicago Bears nearly beat the Green Bay Packers for the first time in six years.
Then a blocked field goal doomed their chance.
Caleb Williams drove the Bears to the Packers’ 29-yard line on the last possession of the game, but the Packers blocked Cairos Santos’ 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
The Packers’ 20-19 win was their 11th straight in the rivalry.
Chicago found an offensive rhythm in their first week with a new offensive coordinator, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams rushing for a career-high 70 yards to unlock new elements of the Bears offense on the ground and through the air.
The Bears defense registered multiple key stops, too.
In the second quarter, rookie cornerback Terell Smith intercepted Jordan Love in the red zone, setting up Chicago’s offense for its first touchdown after a 25-drive drought — a 1-yard Roschon Johnson carry that reflected how Williams’ mobility challenged the Packers defense.
In the fourth quarter, Chicago would again stop Love 1 yard short on fourth-and-goal, and still later on a two-point conversion attempt with 2:59 to play.
But the progress Williams and Co. showed for much of the day wasn’t enough.
Because even after Williams rebounded from two sacks in the final drive to complete three straight passes including a 21-yarder on third-and-19, the Packers’ special teams sealed another loss for the Bears.
The win improves the Packers to 7-3, continuing their push for a wild-card spot even if they don’t catch the 9-1 Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
The Bears fall to 4-6 in Matt Eberflus’ third season at the helm, on track for Eberflus’ third straight losing season as franchise leadership considers whether to bring him back in 2025.
And yet, the Bears gave their fans reasons for hope in the close game.
A one-point loss to a likely playoff team and longtime rival looked better than last week’s 19-3 dysfunction against the New England Patriots or the prior week’s 29-9 sputtering at the Arizona Cardinals.
The Bears’ top priority this season needs to be determining a plan for Williams to succeed. In two prior games, he completed under 54% of his passes for zero touchdowns while taking a combined 15 sacks.
Against the Packers: Williams completed 74.1% (23 of 31) for 231 yards.
He rushed for 70 more yards on nine carries. Williams did not score a touchdown, but he got the ball out more quickly than he had in prior weeks and used his legs to pick up first downs repeatedly.
Five days after firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and promoting passing game coordinator Thomas Browns, the Bears outgained the Packers 391 yards to 366 and 170 rushing yards to 106.
Great blocks from Bears and great use of speed/control from Swift. Rushing attack effective in first game coordinated by Thomas Brown, who has history of playing and coaching at RB.
Bears 19, Packers 14pic.twitter.com/Md30UZDjHp
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) November 17, 2024
Twice on fourth down, Eberflus and Brown trusted Williams to stay on the field.
On fourth-and-2 in the third quarter, Williams found Johnson for 8 yards to keep alive a drive that would end in a field goal.
Later that quarter on fourth-and-1, Williams gained 4 yards on a keeper.
The Packers scored first on a 15-yard pass from Love to Jayden Reed, then failed to finish two trips to the red zone before regaining their lead on a Josh Jacobs-heavy drive in the fourth quarter. Jacobs capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown up the heart of the Bears defense.
The Bears had one more answer, as left tackle Braxton Jones’ bully-mentality block helped spring D’Andre Swift accelerating and decelerating en route to a 39-yard touchdown. The Bears’ two-point attempt, from up five, failed.
Christian Watson, who led skill players with 150 yards on four targets, energized the Packers’ game-winning drive when he dove for a 19-air-yard catch that he then took 41 more yards to the red zone. Two Love carries later, the Packers took the one-point lead they would keep.
Love completed 13 of 17 passes for 261 yards, one touchdown and one interception in addition to rushing four yards for 18 carries and another score.
Jacobs pitched in 134 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage.
For Chicago, Moore caught seven of seven targets for 61 yards while Swift gained 84 total yards and the touchdown.
