The Bears have spent this season living and dying by the Six Pillars, the metrics that have consistently dictated their wins and losses.
For new readers, those pillars are 30+ Rushing Attempts, 11+ Sustained Drives, Sack Differential, Yards Per Play, Red Zone Efficiency, and Turnovers. When Chicago controls four or more of these categories, they usually walk off with a win. Against Green Bay, those foundations fell at the worst possible time.
The only pillar that the Bears cleanly hit was 30+ rush attempts. They logged 32 carries to the Packers' 26, and Chicago maintained control of the ball for longer. But Green Bay executed more efficiently when they did have the ball, and in this first-place race, that's what truly matters. Before this game, the Bears were undefeated when they rushed the ball more than 30 times,
Structure Falls Apart
The Bears missed on 11 Drives, finishing the game with nine possessions, the same as Green Bay. For a team that wants to grind out long games and stack their chances, that's not enough volume to maintain their run-heavy identity and make it pay off.
Sack Differential ended up neutral at best, but the Bears had the slight edge. Both teams allowed their QB to take a sack, but the Packers were sacked for more yards than the Bears. Neither team protected their QB more when it comes to raw hits, but when it comes to crunch time, five yards can mean everything.
The gap in Yards Per Play was brutal. Chicago managed just 4.6 yards per snap, while the Packers ripped off 6.5. That metric alone paints a picture of the game. The Packers exploded when they needed to, and the Bears couldn't find their rhythm.
Then there's the Red Zone Efficiency, Chicago went 2-4, a 50% clip that left points on the field in a one-score game. Green Bay, meanwhile, finished 1-1, perfect in their lone trip. The Bears met neither their own standard nor their opponent's.
Finally, the Turnover Battle. This has been the Bears' bread and butter all year, the only statistic that they've comfortably held the lead in all season. Turnovers fell evenly, a stalemate. The Bears fell neutral on this pillar as they imploded across all others. When they were already losing yards, efficiency, and scoring chances, losing on your own key metric is catastrophic.
All in all, the Bears only secured one of six pillars. One neutral, and four lost. For a team that was battling for the top spot in their division, and potentially the NFC, this was an essential game to win.
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The Bears take on Cleveland in their next matchup, and then the Packers come to Soldier Field for a Week 16 game that could have significant playoff implications for both teams. If the Bears hope to succeed, they must improve on these key stats.