NEWSLETTER
Yes, the Chicago Bears are playoff bound.
But it’s not really of their own doing.
That’s because, when given the opportunity to clinch a postseason spot by beating their arch-rivals from Wisconsin, they coughed it up. The Bears had leads of 7-0 and 10-7 in the first half. Heck, they even drew to within 21-16 as late as the fourth quarter. But then, the Green Bay Packers served up a cold, harsh reminder that they are the two-time defending NFC North champions. And in a way that has grown far too familiar for my liking, pulled away with a 35-16 win.
To be clear, this game shouldn’t have been a blowout. But in a world where everything equals out in the end, the Bears got what they deserved.
I strongly dislike that guy’s smirking mug. It’s a punch to the gut every time I have to look at it. But Aaron Rodgers toyed with the Bears. Again. He threw four touchdowns. Every completion felt like a dagger. Even the ones that were misses (i.e. drops) stung momentarily. Rodgers’ mastery of the Bears was on full display, showing how far this defense needs to go in order to get its act together.
And to think … that group had its chances.
Chicago defenders dropped three interceptions, two of which came on the same defensive possession. They forced a punt, which was nice. But there’s a difference that comes in changing the game’s momentum with a takeaway that can’t be matched by merely forcing a punt. For a ballhawking safety, Eddie Jackson should’ve come away with an interception. And on what was a more difficult play, Barkevious Mingo had an opportunity to claim a pick of his own. In the end, punts are moral victories. And against postseason teams, those are meaningless. It’s truly symbolic that the Bears offense did not score after capitalizing on potential opportunities. It’s a theme that’s popped up throughout the year.
As for the Bears’ offense … it had its moments. The play-calling stayed committed to the run throughout, getting David Montgomery 22 caries and 31 total touches. The mix of pass plays to Darnell Mooney (11 catches, 93 yards) and Cole Kmet (7 catches, 41 yards) was another encouraging development. But I can’t get over the 4th-and-1 call to throw the ball, which resulted in a turnover on downs.
After converting fourth downs on the ground at several points earlier in the game, the Bears tried to sneak one past the Packers with a sprint rollout to the right. But Jimmy Graham missed an assignment, leaving Mitchell Trubisky with his only option being to throw to a well-covered Allen Robinson. It went as poorly as you could’ve imagined. Then again, you probably thought it was over as soon s you saw the offense line up in the gun. Not only was that the Bears’ last great scoring chance, the Packers went touchdown-interception-touchdown on their next there possessions. Major ouch.
But hey! At least it’s a teachable moment:
I can think of something you should've learned by now. https://t.co/uXiNLy27fb
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 4, 2021
Man, I didn’t know my eyes could roll that far into the back of my head.
That game was a snap-shot of Bears football in 2020. Good enough to get painfully close, but not good enough to be where you want them to be at the end of the game. It was a microcosm of the last 32 games, in which Chicago’s football team is 16-16. This is where I’d say that’s simply not good enough. But because the Cardinals lost, the Bears are heading to the playoffs.
However, this game made it clear they won’t last long if they play as they did on Sunday.
