The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Green Bay Packers’ Win Over The Chicago Bears

The oldest rivalry in the NFL — and arguably the finest in sports — delivered a doozy Sunday.

Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes and Keisean Nixon intercepted a pass with 22 seconds left as Green Bay defeated visiting Chicago, 28-21, on a frigid evening.

Green Bay is now 52-16 in this rivalry since the start of the 1992 season and took a 109-96-6 lead in a series that began in 1921.

Chicago held an 80-57-6 advantage in this series after the 1991 campaign. But the Packers have swung things a remarkable 36 games in just 33 ½ years.

Green Bay improved to 9-3-1 and moved into first place in the NFC North. Chicago had its five-game winning streak snapped and fell to 9-4.

Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur also improved to 12-1 against Chicago.

Here’s the ‘Good, Bad and Ugly’ from the Packers’ win.

THE GOOD

KEISEAN NIXON: The Bears had a fourth-and-1 from Green Bay’s 14-yard line with 27 seconds left. Chicago ran play action and rolled quarterback Caleb Williams out to the left.

Nixon didn’t bite and stayed with tight end Cole Kmet. Williams lofted the ball for Kmet in the endzone, but Nixon skied for the interception sending Green Bay to its fourth straight win.

SISTER CHRISTIAN: Wide receiver Christian Watson has been back just seven games after tearing his ACL in Week 18, 2024. But this has already been the best of Watson’s four NFL seasons.

Watson had four catches for 89 yards and hauled in two touchdowns to power Green Bay’s offense.

“I have said it a few times, I didn’t really set any expectations for myself,” Watson said. “I just wanted to get healthy, go out there and just play football. Kind of like I said, I didn’t really have a lot of expectations for myself. I just wanted to get out there and play, but I’m definitely happy with what I put out there so far.”

There was a lot to be happy about Sunday.

On Watson’s first TD — a 23-yard second quarter score — Green Bay’s offensive line did yeoman’s work to make it all possible.

The Packers had a third-and-10 from the Bears’ 23 and Chicago rushed seven. Green Bay picked up the blitz, Watson whipped single coverage and Love delivered a strike that gave the Packers a 7-0 lead.

Then midway through the third quarter, Watson had a 41-yard TD that gave Green Bay a 21-14 lead.

Watson lined up wide right and had single coverage with safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. Watson whipped Gardner-Johnson off the line of scrimmage and Love hit him in stride on an inside slant. Watson then ran away from Gardner-Johnson and fellow safety Kevin Byard to give the Packers a two-score lead.

“I think just all-around route running and just all the all the little intricacies that actually make a big difference, yeah, he’s improved in every facet of his game,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Watson. “His ability to beat man coverage, win off the line of scrimmage, whatever it may be, and then also attacking the football and tracking the football, I think you’ve really seen a lot of just development there as well.”

WELCOME BACK: Jayden Reed, who led the Packers in receptions each of the last two years, missed the last 10 games with a broken collarbone and a foot fracture.

Reed had four receptions for 31 yards and gave the Packers’ passing game a jolt.

“Man, I’ve been through enough, so I never doubt myself,” Reed said. “I’ve been through a lot in my life, so at this point, I’ve always had confidence in everything I do.”

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Green Bay’s defense was sensational in the first quarter.

The Bears had just 20 yards of total offense on 11 plays (1.8 average). Chicago went 0-for-3 on third downs, had just one first down and held the ball just 4:33.

HUGE SCORE: The Packers led, 7-3, late in the second quarter when Love hit little-used wideout Bo Melton with a 45-yard touchdown.

Melton lined up in the slot left and ran a go route. The Bears seemingly had a mix-up in back and no followed Melton.

Safety Jaquan Brisker was a split second late and missed deflecting Love’s pass by mere inches. The ball slipped through to Melton, who hauled it in for his second career touchdown.

THIS AND THAT: Micah Parsons beat right guard Jonah Jackson, pressured Williams and forced an incompletion to end the Bears’ second drive. … Defensive tackle Karl Brooks stuffed out an end around to wideout D.J. Moore and dumped him for a 4-yard loss.

THE BAD

NO DEFENSE: Chicago’s first three possessions of the second half led to a pair of touchdowns and a field goal.

The Bears marched 64 yards on 10 plays on their first possession that ended with a 1-yard TD pass from Caleb Williams to Olamide Zaccheaus. Chicago added the two-point conversion and pulled within 14-11.

The Bears then put together a seven play, 37-yard drive that ended with a 41-yard Cairo Santos field goal and pulled Chicago within 21-14.

The Bears then had a remarkable 17-play, 83-yard touchdown drive that gobbled up 8 ½ minutes and ended with a 1-yard TD pass from Williams to rookie tight end Colston Loveland that tied the game, 21-21.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH: The Packers had three possessions in the third quarter, and two of them ended in three-and-outs.

Chicago, meanwhile, scored on its first two possessions of the quarter and got itself back into the game.

THIS AND THAT: Bo Melton was flagged for an illegal block in the back on the Packers’ first punt return forcing Green Bay to begin at its own 11. … Rasheed Walker gave up a 14-yard sack to Chicago’s Montez Sweat on Green Bay’s opening drive. … Aaron Banks was hit with a 15-yard facemask penalty that helped kill Green Bay’s second possession. … Long snapper Matt Orzech was called for holding on the Packers’ first punt of the second half. … Brandon McManus had a third quarter kickoff go out of bounds allowing the Bears to start a drive at their own 40.

THE UGLY

NOT SMART: Keisean Nixon has had a stellar year at cornerback for the Packers. But the 28-year-old, seven-year veteran continues to do far too many things that hurt his team.

On a Bears’ drive that ended in a field goal late in the second quarter, Nixon was hit with a pair of penalties.

The first was a hands to the face that gave Chicago a first down on Green Bay’s 48. The second was a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty that gave the Bears a first down at the Packers’ 18.

WHAT WAS THAT?: Jordan Love was intercepted by Chicago safety CJ Gardner-Johnson on the Packers’ opening drive. The Packers had a third-and-19 and Love tried forcing the ball to rookie Matthew Golden. Gardner-Johnson read the play, dropped in zone, intercepted Love and returned the ball to the Packers’ 37.

Fortunately for Love and the Packers, Green Bay’s defense stiffened and Chicago couldn’t take advantage of the turnover.