The Green Bay Packers finished the 2024 regular season with a bang. Both Jordan Love and Christian Watson left the game with injuries, the Chicago Bears scored the game-winning field goal as time expired, and Matt LaFleur’s team lost their second straight game early in the postseason, defeating in the season finale at Lambeau Field, 24-22.
The loss snapped the Packers’ 11-game winning streak over the Bears, who won at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2015. Green Bay currently holds the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs.
Loss hurts and injury adds salt to the wound. Love should be fine, but it’s unlikely Watson – the quarterback in the passing game – will be available as the Packers prepare to face the 14-3 Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card round next weekend.
Here are the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ loss to the Bears:
Good
Defense: Although the tardy finish to the game marred the overall performance, the Packers defense otherwise performed well. The Bears finished with just 224 yards rushing, and seven of Chicago’s 24 points came on punt touchdowns in the first quarter. The Bears averaged 3.9 yards per play, 4.5 yards per pass attempt and 3.2 yards per rush attempt, and the Packers forced two turnovers, including one tardy, to set up a field goal. It was a winning performance by Jeff Hafley’s defense. The other two phases of the game – offense and special teams – let the Packers down on Sunday.
Bad
Passes by Jordan Love: Love completed just seven passes in five possessions with the No. 1 offense before leaving the game with an injury. There’s a lot going on in the Packers passing game and there’s a reckoning to be made before heading to Philadelphia in the NFC Wild Card Round. Can this team run without Love getting really heated in the postseason? It’s difficult to imagine.
Finish: In many ways, the end of the Packers’ 2024 season raised red flags. A year after winning the postseason, Matt LaFleur’s team easily made the playoffs, losing consecutive games to their division rivals. Green Bay finished the year 0-5 against the Eagles, Vikings and Lions and 1-5 against the league. On Sunday, the Packers had multiple opportunities to stop the Bears tardy in the game and failed to do so. LaFleur’s ill-timed break before Brandon McManus’ field goal saved the Bears in the prior seconds, and then the Packers gave up an explosive play in the 3rd and 11th minutes to set up a game-winning opportunity for Cairo Santos on the final play. The margins are so skinny in the NFL that the Packers are losing by the margin to finish the 2024 season. But it’s a recent season when the playoffs begin next weekend.
Ugly
Injuries: There’s no fun in losing, especially to a home opponent, but the Packers had so little to play for – a one-seed difference on the postseason field – that the only thing that could really make Sunday’s season finale a large loss was to suffer a costly injury or two. Well, that’s exactly what happened. Christian Watson suffered a non-contact knee injury and it appears his 2024 season is over. Four plays later, Jordan Love fell difficult on his right elbow, lost feeling in his throwing hand, and missed the rest of the contest. In just one series, the Packers lost a huge quarterback on offense and then the quarterback suffered a right arm/hand injury. Love is confident he will play next week, but he has been dealing with an injury all season and had to be fit before the season. We’ll see next week if there are any more injuries to the Packers after this loss.
