Well, that was unexpectedly fun!
I didn’t have the Bears beating the Packers at Lambeau on my bingo card heading into Sunday’s action, but I’ll happily take it! Sure it bumped Chicago down a spot to 10th in the NFL Draft order, but I think this win probably holds a little more value to the team and quarterback than one spot in the Draft will (I’m so prepared to eat my words and have a generational talent go to New Orleans one pick ahead of the Bears).
Bears vs Packers Takeaways
I’m going to start with the good because this ended up in a shocking win, but there’s certainly some bad to cover. Caleb Williams is awesome. Does he have a lot to work on in the offseason? Most certainly. Hopefully, it’s Ben Johnson who comes in here and helps him clean up some fundamentals. But man, this was yet another example of a late-game situation in which Caleb had the ball late trailing and brought the Bears into position to win the game. Only this time, they finally came through and picked up the win.Caleb Williams in the 4th quarter:116/180 – 64.4%1,108 yards10 TD2 INT95.3 passer rating28 carries for 135 yards pic.twitter.com/Vnj8iBM93d
— Dave (@dave_bfr) January 6, 2025 The bad for me in this game had to be the playcalling. Really until the fourth quarter, Thomas Brown let Keenan Allen throw more downfield passes than Caleb Williams. It was screen after screen after screen after screen after screen. I understand that the Bears OL was banged up quite a bit, and a lot of that was to protect Caleb from getting killed, but there are other ways to do that than just quick screens. Move the pocket, keep extra backs and tight ends in on protection. Just mix things up! But really this isn’t that relevant of an issue as a whole new staff will be coming in this offseason. I really don’t want to hear anyone complain about a worse draft pick after this win. The Bears dropped one spot in a draft that has what appears to be a very deep class. There’s a very good chance they’ll have one of the top two offensive linemen or top edge rushers available when they pick. This season was demoralizing. The losing streak was brutal. Picking up the first Bears win at Lambeau Field since 2015 and the first win in general over Green Bay in 11 tries can absolutely be a building block for this young group and this young quarterback. If Chicago misses out on someone by one pick that is a repeat of the Aaron Donald/Kyle Fuller scenario, I’ll eat my words. But I think the positives for this young group from this win outweigh the negatives of dropping one draft slot. Credit to DJ Moore for his game today. I know he had the fumble, but honestly, that was ANOTHER quick screen in which he had…checks notes…ZERO blockers ahead of him. He played hard today, and really over the last few weeks when thrust into a bit of a different role as not only a WR but a gadget running back type as well he not only executed but thrived. He scored a hell of a touchdown today, he and Caleb communicated and were on the same page on the play that set up the game-winning field goal. Moore was far from a perfect Bear this season and definitely let frustration get the best of him at times, but he produced up until the season’s final play and I’m very excited he’s a Bear for the future. © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Just when I thought I was getting a little excited that Tyrique Stevenson might have a little of his confidence back, he goes ahead and lets up that deep ball in the fourth quarter and just a terribly played ball. I’m not totally sure what you do with him this offseason. You probably have to bring him back with so many other areas of need to address, but with Terrell Smith establishing himself as an option, Stevenson shouldn’t be a lock to start. Hopefully, this offseason he can reset and get back to the player he was prior to the Hail Mary that pretty much just broke him. I’m hoping whoever is the next head coach of the Bears (PLEASE Ben Johnson) puts an emphasis on getting Rome Odunze more involved in the offense. It was a little bit of a crowded receiving room and I get that, but at his best this season Odunze was outstanding and he and Caleb showed some special chemistry. So many of those late fourth-quarter drives included Williams looking for Odunze in a big spot and the two connecting. DJ Moore is great and I would like to see Keenan Allen back at the right price too. But If handled correctly I think Rome showed off enough promise and chemistry with the quarterback to establish himself as the top option in this offense. I’m just so happy for this team, but really for Caleb Williams that he got to see one of these comeback efforts result in a win. So many times this season he did all he could to bring the team back and put them in a position to win in the final seconds only to be let down by coaching or teammates. Finally seeing one go in had to feel so good. It’s a huge weight off those shoulders, and it should absolutely lead to some momentum going into 2025. Even about as bad of a year as it could be, Caleb Williams figured out a way to lead the Bears to a win at Lambeau Field. Sure it was against some reserves on their end, but it counts for something. This feeling as opposed to another gut-punch loss in a game you let slip away matters, especially having it as your lasting impression headed into the offseason. Green Bay sucks.Caleb Williams was FIRED UP ? pic.twitter.com/QR7LMBeAiT
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 5, 2025 Read More Details
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