The Green Bay Packers had revenge on the mind Sunday, and they got it. Their defense forced five Chicago Bears turnovers while the offense compiled 31 points for a decisive 31-7 victory. Much of the fiasco fell at the feet of the quarterbacks. Tyson Bagent threw two interceptions, while Case Keenum, who came in to replace him, threw an interception and lost a fumble. It was the crashing back down to earth that was always possible. Unfortunately, it had to come in such an important game. This performance reinforced one thing. Chicago’s success is not all Ben Johnson. This team is a different animal with Caleb Williams.
Not enough people truly appreciated how effective the starter has been against Green Bay in his career. He was beating the Packers even before Johnson arrived last season. Williams knows how to make things happen, which has always been a problem for previous Bears quarterbacks. When Green Bay doesn’t have to worry about the quarterback creating on his own, beating Chicago is easier for them. It is why they’ve owned the rivalry for so long. Don’t be fooled by what they say publicly.
The Packers were relieved that Williams wasn’t healthy enough to play this game.
Getting Caleb Williams back remains paramount.
This loss now puts the Bears at 0-2 in the division. It is the second year in a row that that has happened. Just like last season, the second game was a blowout loss on the road. Much of the blame for this must fall at the feet of head coach Ben Johnson. He didn’t have a good game plan, and his decisions exacerbated the problem. Only giving D’Andre Swift 9 carries in the games with Kyle Monangai out was certainly a choice. It put more pressure on the quarterbacks to execute, and the results spoke for themselves.
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Green Bay wanted that game. That much was obvious, but the Bears certainly gave it to them with how unprepared they looked. Would Caleb Williams have allowed that? Probably not. Everybody knows how seriously he takes games against the Packers. At the very least, he would’ve kept the turnovers to a minimum. In four career regular season games against them, he has one interception. Still, there is a silver lining to this.
Despite the loss, the Bears have still gone 2-1 with their backups. If Williams does return against Atlanta next week, that is a major win for the team.
There isn’t much time to lament the loss.
The Bears’ schedule doesn’t get any easier from here. Atlanta is surging after back-to-back blowout victories. Then they have to play New England and Seattle, last year’s Super Bowl participants. If they aren’t careful, they could go from 3-1 to 3-5 in the blink of an eye. That is why Williams’ return is so imperative. You’re not beating those teams without scoring points. You’re not scoring points without your starting quarterback. The backup magic is gone.
One thing is certain. Johnson won’t rely on just Williams returning for a solution. He isn’t the type of coach to let such a sloppy game go without consequences. Expect some serious things to happen in practice this week. The Bears will not look this sloppy or lacking in intensity again. Don’t be shocked if the Packers run into a very different team in the rematch on Christmas Day.
