Packers 28, Bears, 21: Offense comes up short in battle for first place in NFC North

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — So close. Yet so far.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams underthrew tight end Cole Kmet on fourth-and-1 to seal the Bears’ fate with 20 seconds left.

Williams finished the day 19-for-35 passing for 186 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. It wasn’t his finest day, and for all the magic he’s had this season late in games, Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon simply made a better play when it mattered most.

Coach Ben Johnson said on Monday that the Bears were winning “in spite of (their) passing game.”

Sunday’s Game of the Week at Lambeau Field trended similarly for Williams and the Bears’ offense. On the Bears’ first two offensive drives, Williams was 0-for-5 passing. In that stretch, the Bears ran just one play on the ground, gaining five yards.

Jordan Love, on the other hand, was beating the Bears’ third-down blitzes left and right, connecting with Christian Watson twice on third-and-long for a pair of long touchdowns.

Tune into the CHGO Bears Postgame Show.

1st and 10 – 26 yard gain to the Packers 11 – Williams to Kmet, broken loft

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Adam Jahns

The Bears are a good team. They’re just not better than the Packers. Not yet, at least. Quarterback Caleb Williams was intercepted by cornerback Keisean Nixon in the end zone on the Bears’ last play from scrimmage. His pass was late and short of tight end Cole Kmet. It was a cold, physical game. The Bears’ run game was better than their passing game, while Jordan Love had a better day from start to finish than Williams.

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Patrick Norton

There’s plenty to be said about the Bears’ offense on Sunday. But let’s take a quick note of the defense. It felt like one of those days where any time the Bears’ defense forced a third down, the Packers always had an answer — oftentimes against the blitz.

The Packers finished the day 8-of-12 on third down. Not good enough for Dennis Allen’s defense. Not a lot of pressure created on blitzes and too much separation created by Packers receivers. Not a recipe for success.

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Adam Hoge

That was a hell of a football game and the Bears deserve a lot of credit for their second-half effort. Ben Johnson’s halftime adjustments were brilliant. Unfortunately, the defense just didn’t make enough plays — most notably Montez Sweat and Gervon Dexter failing to get Josh Jacobs on the ground in the backfield on a crucial third-down that ultimately led to the Packers’ game-winning touchdown.

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Mark Carman

Tough loss. But the Bears had a chance to tie on the final drive. They put themselves in a position to do it. They battled back after a tough first half where they were thoroughly beat. Their upset should be significant as well as their confidence that they can bounce back in the coming weeks.