Late interception sinks Bears as Packers take NFC North lead

Jeff Hanisch - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 9 hours ago

GREEN BAY - The 211th meeting between the Chicago Bears (9-4) and Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) wasn't your typical meeting, as there was a lot on the line. In front of a packed Lambeau Field crowd, first place in the NFC North was on the line as the Bears looked to remain atop the division while knocking the Packers further back in the process.

As was the case so many times in the past, this was one of those classic Bears vs Packers games as this one came down to the final seconds. Trailing Green Bay seven after a late Josh Jacobs touchdown and with the ball in their hands, it was the Bears marching down the field as they were looking to tie things up late. Facing a fourth and one and in need of a score, Caleb Williams took his chance at a late-game touchdown only to have Keisean Nixon come down with the interception, handing the Bears a tough 28-21 defeat.

In a matchup that pitted one of the best rushing offenses in the game against one of the better run defenses, many felt this had the makings of an extremely physical game. You got a sense of that early on, as neither team was able to do much in the opening quarter, aside from CJ Gardner-Johnson coming away with an interception on the Packers' first possession of the game.

Chicago was unable to capitalize on that interception, as they punted the ball back to the Packers. Looking for the game's first score, it was Jordan Love finding Christian Watson on a beautiful slant pass that gave the Packers a first down. Love found Luke Musgrave later on the drive for what looked to be another diving first down, but after further review, the ball was ruled incomplete, thus killing the Packers' potential scoring opportunity.

The biggest issue for the Bears' first-half struggles was the continued inaccuracy from Caleb Williams and the passing game, as he started 2-9 with one first-down completion to Luther Burden. It doesn't matter how good you have been playing for the better part of two months; wins are going to be tough to come by when your passing game is inconsistent, and that is something the Bears are going to have to figure out.

While the Bears had trouble moving the ball for the most part, it was the Packers who did a great job getting after the Bears, as Josh Jacobs' hard-earned runs kept the Bears' defense on their toes and kept the chains moving. The end result was the game's first score as Love found Watson wide open over the middle of the field to put the Packers on top 7-0 early in the second.

Although the Bears' next possession didn't end well, they at least did their best to answer the Packers as they began to use Kyle Monangai on the ground. Even if the yards weren't there, his physical style kept the offense on the field, which allowed Burden to get free for a first down near midfield.

A pair of costly penalties also helped Chicago keep the drive alive, while a fourth-down scramble from Williams moved the chains and put the ball near the red zone. That was about as close as the Bears would get as the Packers defense held when it mattered, with Cairo Santos coming through with a 33-yarder to make this a 7-3 game.

Speaking of Santos, immediately following his made field goal, he made one of the biggest mistakes you can make as he failed to hit the landing zone on the ensuing kick, which gave the Packers the ball at their own 40. Those are the kind of mistakes you can't make against this team as Love connected for the () touchdown to Bo Melton with less than a minute to go as the Packers took a 14-3 lead into the half.

The second half was when the real fun began, as it looked just like another classic Bears vs. Packers game. After holding the Packers on their first possession of the second half, it was the Bears' offense that got back to work, as Williams began using his legs on the ground and through the air to make plays.

He did that on several occasions, including a 24-yard hookup to Cole Kmet that moved the ball inside the Packers' 20. That was only the start of what was to come with D'Andre Swift plowing ahead for another first down, setting things up for Williams to find Olamide Zaccheus for the one-yard score as the Bears pulled within 14-9. Monangai capped off that drive with a two-point try as the Bears were now within three.

Just as quickly as the Bears pulled within a score, it was the Packers answering as Jayden Reed returned to the field for the first time since week two and delivered an 18-yard first-down run. A few plays later, it was that man Watson again as he got free over the middle for another slant and beat the defense for the 41-yard score as the Packers extended their lead to 21-11. Watson led all receivers with 89 yards on four receptions, continuing to make a massive impact on this offense.

With the Packers gifting the Bears a short field on another kickoff out of bounds, it was Williams going back to the air as he found both Kmet and Burden for a pair of first-down receptions as he started the second half 7-8 and went 19-35 on the day for 189 yards. Eventually, the Bears' offense stalled again, but Santos banged home a 41-yarder, pulling the Bears within 21-14.

It was the Bears' next possession that opened the eyes of the entire defense, as they not only closed out the third quarter with the ball but also took up nearly half the fourth quarter as well. Whether it be the power running ability of Monangai and Swift, who led the team with 63 yards rushing, or the ability for Burden and his team's high 67 yards to make plays, it was the Bears' offense grinding out a lengthy drive as they had the ball inside the Packers' five.

On the 17th play of this drive, Williams faked to his left and rolled to his right, where Loveland was wide open for the one-yard pass, and just like that, this was a 21-21 game. This is when the game completely flipped as the Packers opened their next possession on a first-down run from Jacobs before Reed got behind the defense for another huge first down to move the ball near midfield.

Arguably, the biggest play of the game came later on this drive with the Packers facing a third down. After it looked as if Jacobs was stopped in the backfield, Jacobs somehow found a crease and broke through for a huge gain to set the Packers up with first and goal. Jacobs finished the day with 86 yards, including his two-yard touchdown run three plays later to put the Packers on top for good, 28-21.

Given how things were going in the second half, this game was far from over, and with Williams finding Burden and Devin Duvernay for a pair of first-down receptions, it was the Bears inching closer to the endzone as they had the ball inside the Packers' 30 with less than two minutes to go. It was at this moment that the Bears got a bit too cute, as three straight runs brought them to within fourth and one and less than 40 seconds to go.

Needing a yard to keep the drive alive, Williams did his best to make a play as he rolled to his left to avoid pressure and then fired toward Kmet in the back of the endzone. That is where Keisean Nixon came down with the game-sealing interception as the Packers escaped with a 28-21 win. The win moves the Packers into first place in the NFC North while knocking the Bears back into the Wild Card. These same teams will meet again at Soldier Field in two weeks, as that will be for all the marbles.