The Green Bay Packers have owned the Chicago Bears over the past half-decade. With the team coming off a bye week and the Bears coming off a week where they fired their offensive coordinator, it looked like the dominance would continue. Chicago had other ideas. They were able to move the ball well against the improved Packer’s defense and got key stops in the red zone to limit points. The Bears looked to finally be in line for a victory, but Karl Brooks blocked the potential game-winning field goal. Here are three takeaways from the game.
Green Bay Packers Josh Jacobs Dominates Again
Many fans and analysts raised their eyebrows when the Green Bay Packers decided to move on from Aaron Jones and bring in Josh Jacobs. Those critics are very quiet now. Jacobs has been the reason this offense has been so good this year. He had another huge day today. He rushed for 76 yards on 18 carries and also caught four passes for 54 yards. The running back was one of the few players who had a productive day.
Christian Watson set a career-high in receiving yards with 150 yards on four catches. Outside of him and Jacobs, no one else had more than two catches. Overall, the offense had trouble getting things going. On the drives, they were able to score, and the star running back was the focal point of the game plan. Part of the reason Watson was able to have such a big game was because of the success of play-action. The Green Bay Packers will be in any game because of the strength of their run game.
The Quay Walker Problem
I probably was one of the last people to own property on Quay Walker Island. I’ve preached patience with fans. I was so hopeful he would turn into the defensive signal caller the Green Bay Packers defense needs. It’s time to sell the property. He has raw athletic skills but lacks any kind of awareness on the field. Today showed how little progress the former first-round pick has made. Walker gets consistently lost on run plays, allowing large chunk plays to happen. Furthermore, when he is in a position to make the play, he completely whiffs.
He had opportunities to make huge plays. With the Packers leading 14-13, Chicago decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 43. The Bears ran an RPO, and Caleb Williams kept the ball. Walker was there to make the stop, giving the ball back to the offense for a chance to extend the lead. Instead, he whiffed on the tackle, and the Bears picked up the first down. They scored a touchdown a few plays later. The Green Bay Packers seem committed to keeping Walker in the starting lineup, but the decision is becoming harder to explain.
Poise Under Pressure
I debated putting something in here about Jordan Love’s interceptions becoming a problem. They definitely are, but I want to put a positive spin on the situation. Love is not fazed by anything. Some young quarterbacks spiral when they make mistakes. Love goes right back out there and runs the offense. After his interception, the Green Bay Packers didn’t really get a drive until midway through the third quarter. Love led the offense on a six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. It isn’t just this game the Packers have shown grace under pressure.
In the Minnesota game, the team fought despite being down by over 20 points within the first quarter and a half. Many of the wins have come on last-second field goals that were set up by executing in high-pressure situations. In this game, it was the special teams turn to show off their poise. After the game, many of the players talked about having seen something on film that made them believe they could block the kick. In a high-pressure situation, they executed perfectly at the right moment and made the game-winning play.
Final Thoughts
The Green Bay Packers still have a lot to fix. They absolutely snatched this game from the jaws of defeat. However, a win is a win. Super Bowls are not won in November. There is still plenty of time to fix the issues. Sitting at 7-3 puts this team in a great position to nab a postseason spot. It will be tough to catch the Lions for division, especially if they keep playing like they did today against Jacksonville. However, the Packers have shown they can hang with the best teams in the league. If they are able to clean a few things up, this team could become a juggernaut late in the season.
