Which Chicago Bears were losers in Week 18 vs. Packers?
The Chicago Bears reverted back to their old losing habits in their final game of the season in Green Bay. Instead of making a statement against their biggest rival, they made the offseason even more of a question mark.
The Chicago Bears failed as a team against the Green Bay Packers. They wanted it less than the Packers did, and it showed every play. The whole team is really a loser for the all-around effort they put out there, including the coaches. They had a chance to turn a page going into the offseason, and they failed.
Chicago Bears Week 18 Loser No. 1: Defensive Line
The play up front on both sides of the ball was not nearly close to the improved effort that had been put out over the recent stretch of games. The Chicago Bears were manhandled by the Packers' offensive line all game and were powerless to do anything about it. The pass rush was nonexistent all game besides one key third-down sack by DeMarcus Walker early in the game.
Gervon Dexter, who had been playing especially well recently, failed to show up on the stat sheet. It was a poor effort from the defensive front. They let the Packers' offensive line push them back on runs and on pass sets, they could not make Love uncomfortable. This looked like the defensive line from the first half of the year before Montez Sweat was brought in.
The Green Bay Packers offensive line is missing their starting left tackle and has been a middle-of-the-pack line all season. This is not the Eagles or Lions they were going up against. With Aaron Jones averaging five yards per carry and only having one sack of Jordan Love, the entire story is told. The energy and execution were not there for each rep.
The Packers utilized their strong offensive line play to easily move the ball downfield. With the Bears missing Jaylon Johnson and the defensive line not generating any pressure, Love was able to pick apart the defense the same way he did in Week 1.