Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers
Final Score: Packers 28, Bears 21
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter/X, Reddit)
This historic rivalry had its first matchup of the season at Lambeau Field as the Bears and Packers vie for both the top of their division and their conference. The cold weather was the winner early on, with neither team scoring in the first quarter. The Bears struggled to get any semblance of their run game from last week, and Caleb Williams started off with only 1 completion. The Packers moved the ball and sustained drives, but Jordan Love threw an ugly interception on his first drive. He made up for it quickly, connecting with Christian Watson on a deep ball TD to start the second quarter. A couple of penalties from Green Bay’s defense eased Chicago into an easy field goal, but Love connected with another deep ball, this time to Bo Melton, to go up 14-3 at halftime. Chicago came out of the half as a reinvigorated squad, and Williams dialed in a strong drive and flashy TD pass to Olamide Zaccheaus, plus a Kyle Monangai 2-point conversion to cut the score to 14-11. Love struck back with a slant to Watson that he took the rest of the way for his second score of the game. Chicago hit another field goal and held strong with a 3-and-out. The ground game caught its stride as the Bears marched a 17-play drive, taking 8 and a half minutes off the clock to tie the game up at 21 apiece. In true NFC North fashion, the ground game was matched by the Packers as Josh Jacobs punched in the go-ahead score on his 5th carry of the drive. With a little over 3 minutes left in the game, Ben Johnson managed the play calling and clock well. Caleb hit two throws of over 20 yards, and the play of the game was a 4th-and-1 with 30 seconds on the clock. It was a play-action bootleg just like the dagger in last week’s matchup against the Eagles, but this time, Williams’ ball was severely underthrown and intercepted. The Packers now have a lead in the North at 9-3-1 and are 2nd in the NFC to the 10-3 Rams.
Two Up
- Christian Watson — Not only did he get 2 touchdowns, but he got his second from the slot and recorded 35 yards after the catch.
- Jayden Reed — He may not have had a big splash in his return, but a few play calls designed for him were a nod that LaFleur is happy to have him back.
Two Down
- DJ Moore — He was on the field plenty, but every play called for him was a series of unfortunate events.
- Romeo Doubs — A major goose egg with Christian Watson stepping up and Jayden Reed returning.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: 19/35, 186 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT | 4 Carries, 15 Yards
This was a tale of two halves for the second-year QB. He was only 6/14 for 29 yards in the first half. His throws downfield were far over his intended targets’ heads, and he was pressured into throwaways a few times. Coming into the second half, the pass protection was much improved, while route concepts were shorter to intermediate depths. He was much better out of structure in the second half as well, including an exciting sidearm throw to a diving Olamide Zaccheaus. Caleb was able to set his feet more often and gained some confidence after completing a few shorter passes. He’s an exciting player when he finds his zone and nearly led a game-tying drive in a divisional game on the road. The INT is absolutely his mistake to bear, but rolling left and throwing across your body to the back of the endzone isn’t easy with the pressure of the game on the line.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: 13 Carries, 63 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 19 Yards
Similar to the passing game, the Bears had nothing going on the ground through the first half. Luckily for D’Andre Swift, this was a game of attrition to wear out the Packers’ defense as the game progressed. He was getting swallowed up for short gains early, but his explosiveness showed once a shimmer of a hole opened up later in the game. The lone incompletion was a checkdown that Caleb threw a bit too high and went off his hands. He had a couple of carries inside Green Bay’s 10, but was brought down at the 3-yard line and inches short of the goal line.
Kyle Monangai: 14 Carries, 57 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 0 Yards
While Kyle Monangai may have outpaced Swift in carries, Swift was on the field for 40 snaps compared to Monangai’s 29, and the routes run were 23 to 12 in favor of Swift. We’re well aware that Monangai is a downhill runner and Swift provides more spark in the passing game, but the few red zone carries went to Swift. The lone ray of sun for Monangai is that he got the 2-point conversion following the Bears’ first TD. My speculative takeaway is that the backfield is still firmly in Swift’s hands, and Monanagi will be a matchup-dependent asset who needs to find the end zone to pay returns for being thrown in a starting lineup.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Luther Burden III: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 67 Yards | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
This was a really fun game to watch the usage of Luther Burden III. The first ball his way was an out route that he got good separation, but the ball went sailing over his head. He settled down on a hitch for Caleb’s first completion of the game. He ran two nice curl routes and handled an end-around and tunnel screen. He’s developing his feel for coverages, and his shiftiness on the screen got him within 5 yards of scoring. It seems like coach Johnson is recognizing his growth and starting to use him more as a Swiss-Army Knife.
Cole Kmet: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 42 Yards
Cole Kmet is second on the team in receiving yards with only 42 yards on 2 catches in classic 2025 Bears form. The potential game-tying touchdown would have been his if Caleb hadn’t underthrown him, but he caught both other targets that went his way. One was a scramble drill pass that he turned up the sidelines, but that may have led to a play-action pass going his way on the following drive, as well as the TD play being called for him.
Colston Loveland: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 29 Yards, 1 TD
Loveland saw 41 snaps compared to Kmet’s 53, but he was much more involved in the passing game. He ran only 1 fewer route (23) than Kmet (24) and was targeted 2 times more. He had a pass early on that was in his hands, but he was unable to hold on as the defender hit him, and the two went to the ground. It was actually fortunate that it wasn’t ruled a catch & fumble, nor did the defender hang on to the ball before it hit the ground. Loveland caught all remaining targets, some intermediate in-breakers, and a speed out. He was open in the endzone a few plays before his actual TD, but Caleb threw a ball away over his head far enough that it didn’t count as a target. The TD was a play-action naked boot that Loveland crossed the formation, and Caleb lobbed over the defender. It’s his second touchdown in the last three games, with five or more targets in the same span.
Olamide Zaccheaus: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 7 Yards, 1 TD
There wasn’t as much usage for Olamide Zaccheaus as Luther Burden III starts to take over some share of the offense. Zaccheaus caught a hitch that Caleb threw so low that he had to fall to his knees to catch, preventing any opportunity for yards after the catch. The bright spot was an awesome diving catch that he held onto just past the outstretched arms of the defender. A third ball came his way on the final drive, but it was at his feet. Even though the TD catch was awesome, there appears to be a handing of the baton to the rookie.
DJ Moore: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, -4 Yards
It’s yet another frustrating week for DJ Moore, who led the offense in snaps and routes run but has diddly squat to show for it. On a few plays designed for him, Caleb elected to tuck it for a few short yards instead of trying to squeeze the tight windows toward the boundaries. He had a ball thrown at his feet, and a screen that he got hit before the ball reached him (yet no penalty was called). His pop-pass end-around was sniffed out and stopped for a loss. In a goal line situation, he had a route run to the corner of the end zone, but Caleb slipped, stood up quickly, and threw it away. Moore is getting all the snaps and routes, but things never seem to break his way. He caught just 9 passes in the last 5 games, and this was a game without additional competition from the currently injured Rome Odunze.
Devin Duvernay: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 24 Yards
Durham Smythe: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Jordan Love: 17/25, 234 Yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT | 1 Carry, -1 Yards
This was a very Jordan Love game from Jordan Love. He throws a horrendous interception, but hits some deep-ball TDs to make up for it. Not to fully discredit the stat line, but the majority of the passing yards came from after the catch, and that’s including the two 25+ yard TDs. I gripe about his deep ball because he often throws a fade away, falling back instead of driving through the ball, and the WRs make a good play on it. After the two TDs, he threw another to Bo Melton that was terribly underthrown and should have been a second INT, but Melton saved the day with a blatant offensive pass interference. He had opportunities to take intermediate crossing routes, but threw harder passes to WRs that had a half step on their DBs and failed to connect with them multiple times. The Packers could have pulled further away if not for the mistakes and decision-making from Love.
Running Back
Josh Jacobs: 20 Carries, 86 Yards, 1 TD | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 6 Yards
The Bears knew a cold game in Lambeau was a recipe for a heavy dose from Josh Jacobs. They came prepared, and Jacobs spent most of the game getting stuffed for very short gains. His fantasy production was salvaged on their last drive, where he broke off a 21-yarder, caught his second pass, and plunged a 2-yard carry into the pay dirt. While there could be some concern about how well Chicago held him for most of the game, a hard-running RB is gold for LaFluer in these cold-weather games down the stretch of the season.
Emanuel Wilson: 3 Carries, 10 Yards
Chris Brooks: 0 Carries | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Christian Watson: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 89 Yards, 2 TDs
You might see this stat line and assume that Christian Watson caught a couple of deep balls per his specialty, but only one of his receptions was a target over 10 yards. He caught a hitch and slant before his 26-yard TD, and his other TD was a slant that he had 35 yards after the catch. The second TD looked to be an adjustment at the line of scrimmage, so I wouldn’t go as far as to say that this was a game that solidifies his target share. There were more plays designed specifically for Jayden Reed, and both Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden were total non-factors.
Jayden Reed: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 31 Yards | 2 Carries, 22 Yards
In his first game back in action, it looked like Jayden Reed was going to be a heavy part of the game plan. He had 3 plays called for him on the opening drive: two outs and a jet sweep. He caught a hitch on the next drive, but in classic Jayden Reed form, disappeared for essentially the rest of the game. He ended up getting another jet sweep that he took for a good 14 yards, and a seven route he caught for 18 yards on their last possession. He could have had a big chunk gain on a dig across the middle, but Love took the gamble for Doubs up the sideline to no avail. Reed looked fast and explosive on his touches, and I liked the involvement a lot from his first game back.
Luke Musgrave: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 22 Yards
If there was any hope that Luke Musgrave was going to take over a similar role to Tucker Kraft following his injury, that hope is long gone. Musgrave was only on the field for 21 of 53 snaps and ran just 9 routes on the 26 pass plays. He could have had a diving catch on a deeper pass from Love, but the ball moved in his extended hands as he hit the ground. He caught a curl and a hitch, but dropped a checkdown because the defender hit him as he was making the catch. The return of Jayden Reed is a nail in the coffin for Musgrave’s fantasy hopes.
Romeo Doubs: 2 Targets, 0 Receptions
The game script could have been a small factor, but fantasy managers have to readjust their expectations for Romeo Doubs after this goose egg. He was on the field for the second most in snaps (43 of 53), and second most routes run (19 of 26 plays). Both targets were off the mark from Love, but Doubs also hadn’t created very much separation on most of his routes. Doubs has now had three straight games with four or fewer targets, and it’s his fifth game with no more than four receptions.
Bo Melton: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 45 Yards, 1 TD
Josh Whyle: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 21 Yards
John FitzPatrick: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
Matthew Golden: 1 Target, 0 Receptions