Bears vs. Packers: Everything we know about Chicago’s Week 13 loss
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The Chicago Bears suffered a 28-19 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, which was their second of the season. It’s Chicago’s sixth straight loss of the season and their eighth against Green Bay.
This was the first time Aaron Rodgers played at Soldier Field since his infamous “I still own you” comment last year. This time, after scoring the game-winning touchdown, Rodgers waved “goodbye” to the fans. It’ll be interesting to see if this was Rodgers’ last game in this rivalry as uncertainty about his future swirls.
Here’s everything we know about Chicago’s Week 13 loss to Green Bay:
Final Score: Packers 28, Bears 19
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Keys to the Game
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Justin Fields’ return: After missing last week due to a left shoulder injury, Justin Fields made his return Sunday. The questions surrounding Fields not only were his health but his play style. Would he run the ball? He in fact was playing like his old self, rushing for 71 yards on six attempts, including a 56-yard rushing score. Fields completed 20-of-25 passes for 254 yards, with two interceptions late in the game while playing from behind.
Aaron Rodgers’ health: After leaving the game last week with a rib injury, there were questions surrounding who would be the Week 13 starter for the Packers. Rodgers shut that down early in the week, saying he wants to play as long as his team is mathematically alive in the playoff hunt. Rodgers struggled in the first half. But in the fourth quarter, Green Bay came alive, scoring 18 unanswered points, en route to eight straight victories over the Bears.
Bears defense: The Bears defense is running thin following the trades of Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn. Add the injury to Eddie Jackson, and that’s three Pro Bowl starters out. Not to mention, top rookies Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker missed their second straight games. It’s been a defense with new names that Chicago fans have had to learn. On Sunday, for three quarters, they handled Green Bay’s offense, holding them to just 10 points, which included a young secondary stepping up. The issue is, the offense couldn’t score more than a field goal in the second half. The Packers went on an 18-0 run in the fourth quarter to win.
It was over when...
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It was over when Packers wideout Christian Watson ran a 46-yard touchdown on a three-play, 68-yard drive after a Fields interception in the fourth quarter. Watson’s touchdown, along with a converted two-point conversion, gave the Packers a 26-19 lead.
3 Stars of the Game
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*David Montgomery: Montgomery rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. He was used in the passing game catching four passes, but he only had six receiving yards.
**Justin Fields: Despite two late interceptions, Fields played well. He completed 20-of-25 passes for 254 yards, rushed for 71 yards on six attempts, and became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to score a rushing touchdown in six straight games. He is also now the only quarterback to score three 50+ yard rushing touchdowns in his career, something he has done all in 2022.
***Equanimeous St. Brown: Equanimeous St. Brown had one of his best games as a Bear, catching three passes for 85 yards. Fields and St. Brown connected for a 56-yard completion in the first half, one of the better throws of Fields’ young career. Despite how well he played, Fields and St. Brown couldn’t connect on the second-to-last drive, resulting in a Fields interception that sealed the game.
What's next
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The Bears finally get their bye week next week. They head into the bye with a 3-10 record after losing their sixth straight game. Chicago will host the Eagles, on par to be the top seed in the NFC, in Week 15.
