Packers head coach Matt LaFleur’s decision to rest his squad in Week 18 paid major dividends in the first half of the NFC wild card game at the Bears, who played all of their starters in Week 18. The Packers lead their hated NFC North archrival 21-3 at halftime.
Chicago won the coin toss and opted to take the football. After a long drive that ended in a field goal, Jordan Love threw touchdowns on each of Green Bay’s first three drives. The first came on a play-action rollout to Christian Watson for a 7-yard score, and the second came on third-and-long, when Jayden Reed cooked Tremaine Edmunds out of the slot for an 18-yard touchdown to the left-front corner of the end zone.
After seeing his defense get cooked on the first two drives, Bears head coach Ben Johnson turned up the offensive aggression to the max. Facing a fourth-and-5 at the Chicago 32-yard line, the Bears went for it, but Caleb Williams’ pass was deflected and fell well short of Luther Burden for a turnover on downs.
Green Bay capitalized fully on the Bears’ giveaway, with Love hitting Romeo Doubs on an out route to the front-left corner of the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal. That put the Packers up 21-3 with 1:56 left to play in the half.
Following another fourth-down incompletion by Williams, Green Bay began the final drive of the half at its own 37-yard line with 32 seconds left and no timeouts. Green Bay settled for a 55-yard field goal to conclude the first 30 minutes, but Brandon McManus missed it after making his first try before a Bears timeout.
Love finished the half with 155 yards passing and three touchdowns while completing 10 of 16 throws. Williams finished the half with 78 yards passing and an interception while completing 8 of 17 throws.
Will the Packers put the game too far out of reach after starting the third quarter with the football? Or do the Bears have a magical comeback in store in the second half? Stay tuned to our live blog below to find out.
Where to watch Bears vs. Packers live
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 10 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Soldier Field (Chicago, Illinois)
- Stream: Amazon Prime Video
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Packers -1.5, O/U 44.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
