5 takeaways from the Green Bay Packers 17-9 victory over the Chicago Bears to clinch a playoff berth at Dallas
GREEN BAY − In their first season with Jordan Love as the starting quarterback, the Green Bay Packers are heading to the playoffs.
The Packers sealed the NFC’s No. 7 playoff berth with a 17-9 win against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The win, coupled with the Los Angeles Rams victory over the San Francisco 49ers, sends the Packers to the Dallas Cowboys for an NFC wild-card matchup next week. The game will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. A Rams loss would have put the Packers in the sixth seed, instead sending them to Detroit.
A playoff berth, something the Packers did not manage in their first season with Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback in 2008, is a stunning start to the Love era.
Love was at the forefront of Sunday’s win, completing 27 of 32 passes for 316 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His two touchdowns gave him 32 in his first season as a starter, pushing him past San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s 31. Only Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott has more touchdown passes this season.
Here are some quick observations from what will be a memorable victory:
Jordan Love electric on third down for second time against Bears this season
In Week 1, Love opened his season with a perfect passer rating on third and fourth down against the Bears. He didn’t hit that 158.3 on Sunday, but he was electric on the money down again. Love finished 7-of-8 for 76 yards and two touchdowns on third down, a 145.83 passer rating. Third-down production is among the most indicative traits of a franchise quarterback. On the most important plays, the ball is in their hands. The good ones make something positive happen. In two games this season, Love completed 15 of 18 passes for 217 yards, four touchdowns and a 156.48 passer rating. It’s worth repeating, Love threw more touchdowns than incompletions on third and fourth down against the Bears in his first season. It’s a primary reason he’s started his career 2-0 against the Packers’ long-time rival.
Jayden Reed records first 100-yard game
It’s getting hard to determine which young Packers receiver to highlight week to week. There’s so many ascending all together. Bo Melton had five catches for 62 yards, showing he’s more than a feel-good story from the practice squad. Dontayvion Wicks had two touchdowns, further showing he’s been a revelation as a rookie fifth-round draft pick. But Jayden Reed recorded his first 100-yard game, catching four passes for 112 yards. It won’t be his last. Reed has become a star this season, and he had his best game in the biggest.
Packers show the depth of their pass rush while containing Justin Fields’ rushing yardage
The strength of this Packers defense is its pass rush, but it had the unenviable task of rushing Justin Fields on Sunday. There isn’t a tougher ask this side of Lamar Jackson in the league, not because Fields is an exceptional passer, but because few NFL quarterbacks can take over games with their legs like him. Take one step out of the pass-rush lane, and Fields can take it to the end zone without the football ever leaving his hand. The Packers masterfully rushed Fields to contain him in the pocket, surrounding him with pressure, especially up the middle. They finished with five sacks, one each coming from defensive linemen Kenny Clark, Karl Brooks and Devonte Wyatt. Edge rusher Lukas Van Ness and linebacker Quay Walker added the other two. That the Packers’ five sacks came from five different players isn’t a surprise. The depth of their pass rush has been apparent throughout this season. That the Packers harassed Fields relentlessly while holding him to 27 yards on eight carries is the reason they held the Bears to 9 points. Fields completed 11 of 16 passes, but the Packers were able to force him to beat them with his arm. That’s a winning recipe against this quarterback.
Rookie kicker Anders Carlson’s inconsistency becoming a bigger problem each week
The Packers might be reaching a boiling point with rookie kicker Anders Carlson. Late in the season, with significant implications hanging on his kicks, Carlson simply hasn’t been consistent enough. Carlson pulled what should have been a chip-shot 41-yard field goal wide left in the first half, leaving three points off the scoreboard. If that was a rare occurrence, it could be excused. Instead, missing easy kicks has become a routine. Carlson already has missed five extra points this season, though he made both of his attempts as well as a 25-yard field goal to give the Packers a 17-9 lead with 10:59 left. On the season, Carlson converted 27 of 33 field goals, but four of his misses were from less than 50 yards, points NFL teams should be able to count on. The kicks get even more important in the playoffs. It’s hard to think the Packers feel comfortable with where their rookie kicker is at.
Matt LaFleur bungled end of first half
Matt LaFleur generally isn’t known to mismanage the clock, but he cost the Packers points at the end of the first half. With one timeout, Jordan Love hit a short pass underneath to tight end Tucker Kraft inside 20 seconds. Kraft was unable to get out of bounds, which should have been the end of the drive. The Packers got possession to start the second half and were well within range for a chip-shot field goal. Instead, LaFleur burned his last timeout with 16 seconds left, determined to take his shot at seven points instead. Love’s first pass was almost intercepted in the end zone. That should have been a sign it was time to kick the field goal. Instead, LaFleur called one more shot, and Love’s pass was complete to Dontayvion Wicks inbounds. Unable to stop the clock, the first half ended without the Packers getting points. Instead of a 10-6 lead to start the second half with possession, they led only 7-6. It’s a rare occurrence for LaFleur to cost his team points from the sideline, but he did Sunday.
Silverstein: Jordan Love makes the Packers a tough beat in playoffs after rookie class helps him get there