The Green Bay Packers went from exhilaration to devastation during their wild card game in Chicago against the Bears. In the first half, the Packers dominated the Bears and built a 21-3 lead. At the end of the first half, the Packers missed a field goal attempt that would have given them an even larger lead; however, this would foreshadow events in the 2nd half. Coming out after halftime, the Bears’ defense completely shut down the Packers’ offense and slowly started to build offensive momentum. That set the Bears up to complete their largest comeback in franchise history, sending the Packers home from the playoffs with a dramatic game-winning touchdown. The question for the Packers is “what is next?” as they suddenly head into the off-season.
1. The Largest Collapse in Green Bay History
Building an 18-point lead in a half is a great accomplishment for most teams, but the collapse that followed halftime took away any sense of accomplishment Green Bay had from their effort in the first half. It is rare for a Packers team to be a part of one of the biggest comebacks in recent NFL history, but Green Bay found itself on the wrong side of this comeback. A big part of the blown lead in the second half was a hard-to-explain series of decisions that did not serve the Packers well, especially when playing with a big lead. There is no doubt the Packers’ decisions in the second half will be compared to the 28-3 blown lead by the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.
2. The Brandon McManus Disaster
Often, winning and losing result from small details during a game. At the end of the first half of the game Saturday night, a missed field goal by Packers kicker Brandon McManus to end the half did not seem like a critical play at the time. However, it was a sample of what was to come for McManus in the 2nd half. In the 2nd half, McManus missed three kicks that would have given the Packers 7 more points, and since the end result was a 4-point loss, those missed kicks proved critical. Down the stretch, when the Bears were fighting to get back in the game, McManus missed two field goals and an extra point after the Packers scored a touchdown to take a late lead in the game.
3. Matt LaFleur’s Seat is Flaming Hot
Coming into the post-season, there were some quiet rumbles about Matt LaFleur’s future with the Green Bay Packers after this season. After blowing a big lead and losing a playoff game that seemed to be in the palm of Green Bay’s hands, it definitely opened the door for criticism of LaFleur’s ability to manage games when holding a big lead. During the first half of the game, the Packers’ offense ran the ball 12 times for 49 yards with running back Josh Jacobs. With that success, it would be sensible to keep steadily running the ball in the second half and keep the clock running. However, the Packers only ran the ball 7 times for 6 yards in the second half. While running the ball more may have led to more points for the Packers, it would have given the Bears less time to mount a huge comeback.
4. Abandoning the Run Game
During the regular season, the Green Bay Packers ran the ball for an average of 4.1 yards/carry. And they ran for an average of 119.8 yards per carry with an average of 1 rushing touchdown per game. However, in the first half of the wild card game, the Packers gradually started relying heavily on Jordan Love’s arm and the passing attack, which helped them build a 21-3 lead. On the other hand, when an NFL team has a big lead, it can be a good strategic decision to run more plays on offense. By running the ball more, teams can grind out first downs and keep the clock running. This week, the Packers may have eaten enough game time with their running game to make it impossible for the Bears to finish their comeback.
5. Defensive Meltdown with Micah Parsons
Another area where the Packers struggled in the second half against the Bears was on defense. Without edge rusher Micah Parsons or defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, the defense had a hard time putting pressure on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. That became evident in the 4th quarter, when Williams settled into a rhythm on offense, passing for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Packers’ defense. In the game, the Green Bay defense recorded only one quarterback sack, and that, along with the mismanagement on offense, created the perfect storm for the Packers to lose a playoff game despite holding a double-digit lead.
Make sure you check out, Ranking the 25 Most Important Players In The Wild Card Round
If you enjoyed this article, please like the article and follow us here on MSN! Thank you for reading and have a great day!
