With the postseason on the line, the Green Bay Packers did just enough to edge out their rival Chicago Bears. Both teams had a lot to play for, but the Packers have a chance to build on a promising 2023 campaign with a postseason run.
Going into the year, the expectation amongst many Packer fans was low. The idea was to gauge the talent on the team and see where the organization was, with new faces in so many places. Matt Lafleur orchestrated arguably one of the league’s best coaching jobs, by taking his young team to the playoffs. By clinching the playoffs, Green Bay became the youngest team to do so.
Green Bay Packers Playoff-Bound After Toppling Chicago Bears
How They Got Here
Green Bay got off to a slow start in 2023. After starting 2-5, they went 6-3 in their next nine games to set up a huge tilt with Chicago. The tip of the iceberg was beating Chicago. The Packers entered Week 18 with a chance to both maintain a slight lead on their rivals in the series and earn a playoff bid. But things did not come easy for Green Bay against Chicago. The Bear’s defense made things difficult on Jordan Love at the offense. Many times throughout the game, Love was under duress in the pocket. But he did what he has done so well the last 7 games and that is maneuvering the pocket under pressure to avoid sacks.
Only once did the Bears get home on Love, but it came on an important third down early in the game. The sack pushed Green Bay back and made the 41-yard field goal attempt by Anders Carlson more difficult. Carlson missed the kick, allowing Chicago to maintain a 3-0 lead. Those points became valuable as the game wore down, which was ultimately decided by one possession.
With the score close for the entire game, Green Bay had little margin for error. The defense stepped up to keep the Bears out of scoring position for most of the match. Chicago had not been dominant on offense in 2023 but lately had been surging. This had much to do with Justin Fields’ steady performances. Fields’ future in Chicago remains in question, but he was a big reason that the Packers had to be on top of their game.
Fields’ speed in the open field is what makes him dangerous. On defense, Green Bay’s speed at linebacker helped neutralize this. Many times, Quay Walker was able to track Fields on scrambles and helped stop him from gaining big yards. On the day, Green Bay’s defense generated five sacks. Three of those sacks came on third down. Walker was one of the stars on defense, finishing with one of those sacks and 9 total tackles (per ESPN stats).
In-Game Adjustments
Also contributing to the Packers success on defense was their decision to play more man coverage against the Bears. The soft zone that Joe Barry has called for his defense throughout the season has hurt Green Bay at times, but he made the necessary adjustments to prevent big plays from the Bears. Early in the game, Chicago was able to feed their star receiver, DJ Moore. Early on, it seemed like this would be the back-breaker against Green Bay.
In the first half, Moore caught three balls for 53 yards. One of those was a big reception that came on third down. After that, the Packers were able to contain him to only one catch for 11 yards (per ESPN stats). Between shutting down Moore and containing Fields as a runner, the defensive scheme and their speed up front made all the difference against Chicago.
What Lies Ahead
As the 7th seed in the NFC playoffs, Green Bay enters the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the league. Ahead is a classic matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, on the road. Green Bay has had success at AT&T Stadium in years past, but Dallas is also riding hot and has made easy work of many of their opponents. The stage is set for Green Bay to pull another upset and also make a little run in the postseason. Who would have thought?
Main Photo: Wm. Glasheen / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin-USA TODAY NETWORK
