The Chicago Bears came into Green Bay riding a three-game winning streak with the belief they could win out to give themselves a prime opportunity to make the postseason. Both came to an abrupt end on Sunday when the Packers took down the Bears 21-13, effectively eliminating them from playoff contention.
The Packers jumped out to an early lead when quarterback Aaron Rodgers found Davante Adams for a 29-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Green Bay boasted a 7-3 lead at halftime and the game felt eerily similar to the first matchup that kicked off the 2019 NFL season.
The Packers, however, scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to go up 21-3. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears battled back with 10 unanswered points to make it a one-score game, but ran out of time as the final play in regulation turned into a lateral festival.
A season that began with Super Bowl aspirations ends before the playoffs even begin to the bitter rival that set the Bears back from the start. Here are my five takeaways from the unofficial end to the Bears season.
1. This game showed who the Bears truly are
Are the Bears as good as the team who defeated the Dallas Cowboys last Thursday night behind the arm of Mitchell Trubisky? Or are they as bad as the team that put up just nine yards of offense in the first half of their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles? The answer is neither.
This team is a .500 team that can hang with good teams, but isn’t good enough to get over the hump for a victory. They’ll take care of business against teams such as the New York Giants and Detroit Lions, but will struggle against real competition.
The Packers, despite having a record of 11-3, were vulnerable coming into today’s game and the Bears couldn’t take advantage. The question that needs to be answered this offseason will be if the Bears are closer to the 12-4 squad from 2018, or the .500 team in 2019?
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2. The penalty on Cordarrelle Patterson changed the game
I’m not one to blame the officials for something that happens during an NFL game, but the catch interference penalty on Cordarrelle Patterson early in the first half changed the game and led to the Packers first score. When Bears punter Pat O’Donnell punted the ball away to Tramon Williams, he was met by Patterson as he was catching the ball. Williams ended up muffing the punt for a Bears recovery.
However, a penalty flag was thrown on Patterson for getting to the returner before the ball had arrived, negating the turnover. The problem was, video showed Patterson arrived after the ball was caught and the penalty should not have been called. Instead of the Bears getting the ball near midfield, Green Bay scores their first touchdown and never relinquishes the lead.
3. Akiem Hicks is a warrior
Excitement was building this week when it became clear No. 96 was returning to game action. After missing over two months with a broken elbow, Hicks was activated to the roster and started Sunday’s game against the Packers, despite being in extreme pain for most of the afternoon.
He left the field multiple times with his elbow hanging at his side, but returned each time so he could help his team when they needed it the most. Often described as the heart and soul of the defense, Hicks proved that with his will and play on Sunday. He had four tackles and two hits on Rodgers. Whether Hicks plays the final two games or not, he continues to show why he’s so valuable to this unit.
4. Jesper Horsted did not lose the game
Much of the conversation following this game will be surrounding the final play. As time expired with the ball at the Packers 35-yard line, Trubisky hit running back Tarik Cohen, who then lateraled to Trubisky, who lateraled to Horsted before fumbling at the Green Bay 7-yard line where the Packers recovered.
The play was a desperate attempt to find the endzone for a chance to tie the game, but Horsted did have a chance to do that. Receiver Allen Robinson was open on the lateral, but the tight end didn’t see him. Had he pitched it, Robinson would have likely ran into the endzone, setting the Bears up for a two-point conversion to tie.
It was a heartbreaking end to the game, but it shouldn’t have come down to that play. Trubisky misfired on multiple passes during the prior drive, including the final four to give the ball back to Green Bay and his interception on the drive prior to that with good field position halted another. It was disappointing, but the decision didn’t lose the game. Trubisky on the other hand…
5. Mitchell Trubisky was unable to redeem his 2019 season
This game was a microcosm of Trubisky’s 2019 season. Incredible throws with pinpoint accuracy, followed by poor decision making and straight misses to his wide receivers. The Bears quarterback was on a heater as of late, coming off arguably his best game as a Bears just 10 days prior and giving fans hope that he may still be the quarterback of the future.
He’s looked good as of late, but avenging his loss from earlier this season to the team that put the Bears behind the eight ball from the start would have gone a long way. Instead, the third-year pro was uneven for most the day, going 29-of-53 for 348 yards, one touchdown and two picks. He also posted his seventh quarterback rating of 70 or below on the season with 65.6.
This game likely won’t impact his future with the team as reports have been circulating for weeks he’ll remain the team’s starter in 2020, but it does all but close the book on his disappointing 2019 campaign.
