Coaching
Chicago’s aggressive play-calling on both sides of the ball was apparent in the first half, and was the reason why they went into halftime with a 17-0 lead. In the second half, the Bears’ coaching staff got more conservative, which opened the door for the Packers’ huge comeback. The offense didn’t show many big throws down the field, and the running game was abandoned when needed most. On third-and-one at the Packers’ 14-yard line, Chicago decided to pass instead of run the ball with Howard, who averaged 5.5 yards per carry. An incomplete pass stopped the clock at 2:42, with the Packers having no timeouts. Defensively, not enough blitzes were called to pressure Rodgers in the second half—who was playing with one good leg. Furthermore, Chicago’s cornerbacks played way off of the line of scrimmage a lot, giving much room for the Packers’ receivers to make plays on short routes.
Regardless of who’s winning, the game is won by the team who makes the right halftime adjustments. Obviously, Matt Nagy and the rest of the Bears’ coaching staff didn’t do that.
Grade: D