Caleb Williams was the lone bright spot in a rough afternoon for the Chicago Bears, and that says plenty about how badly things went in a humbling loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The Bears walked away from the game 3-2, but the defeat came with some real damage attached. The two divisional losses already loom large, and this was one of those games that never felt close to flipping in Chicago’s favor.
Green Bay’s offensive line, usually a weak spot, held up well enough to give Jordan Love time to sit in the pocket and deliver one big throw after another. Chicago, meanwhile, spent the day trying and failing to find its quarterback.
Tyson Bagent had another rough outing, and it did little for his trade value. After a chaotic game against the New York Jets in which multiple turnovers were wiped out by penalties, he was pulled after another erratic performance here.
Bagent finished 12 of 21 for 87 yards, took two sacks and threw two interceptions. Case Keenum did not exactly clean things up after that.
Colston Loveland’s slow start keeps getting harder to ignore. The targets were there - five of them, in fact - but the production wasn’t.
He finished with two catches for 19 yards and still hasn’t scored through five weeks. He came into the game with 11 receptions for 91 receiving yards, good for 22.8 yards per game, but the big-play version of Loveland has not shown up yet.
Malik Muhammad, who had been one of Chicago’s most reliable defenders this season, had a much rougher day than usual. The Packers picked on him, and he couldn’t stay attached to their pass catchers.
Muhammad gave up six receptions on six targets for 123 yards, with three of those completions moving the chains. One of the biggest blows was a 50-yard strike to Matthew Golden.
For a rookie, it looked like the kind of afternoon that teaches a hard lesson.
Ben Johnson also lands in the loss column. The Bears came in with the reputation of a sharp offensive mind on the sideline, and with no love lost for the Cheeseheads, this was a game he probably wanted badly.
Instead, Matt LaFleur had the upper hand from start to finish. Chicago couldn’t generate much of anything, and Johnson never found the right in-game answers to give his team a shot.
That’s why Williams ends up as the only winner. There had been plenty of talk that the Bears might not need him to carry them, but this game showed how important he really is.
He was listed as questionable until shortly before kickoff, and the fact that he’s trending in the right direction matters. Barring a surprise, he should be back under center in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons to quiet the doubters.
In Other News...
Ben Johnson And Matt LaFleur Just Added More Heat To This Rivalry
The latest chapter in the Bears-Packers rivalry had the usual stakes, but it also carried a little extra edge between the sideline bosses. Chicago coach Ben Johnson has made no secret of how badly he wants to beat Green Bay, and Packers coach Matt LaFleur has responded by keeping the focus on the rivalry itself rather than any personal back-and-forth. It has given this matchup a sharper feel, even before the teams get to the part where the players decide it.
After Green Bay handled Chicago 31-7, the coaches postgame exchange at midfield was as brief and businesslike as it gets. There was nothing warm or lingering about it, just a quick acknowledgment before both men moved on, which fit the tone LaFleur prefers when these teams meet. The rivalry already sells itself, but the way these two are carrying it is adding another layer of heat. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Found A Few Bright Spots In Another Brutal Packers Loss
Amid another rough afternoon against Green Bay in Week 5, there were still a few individual performances worth noting for Chicago. Devin Bush was active all over the field, Dillon Thieneman kept showing up as one of the Bears most reliable tacklers, and Zavion Thomas gave the return game a boost while also contributing a catch on offense.
The bigger picture still stung, of course, but those flashes mattered for a roster looking for any signs of traction. Bushs work in the middle and Thienemans steady production were encouraging in a game where the Bears needed more disruption, while Thomas provided some juice in the kicking game and a reminder that even in defeat, there were a few pieces worth building on. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylon Johnson Just Put The Bears Secondary Under A Harsh Spotlight
The Bears secondary left plenty to sort through after a rough Week 5, and Jaylon Johnson ended up at the center of it. Chicago needed steadier play on the back end, but Johnson was part of a group that struggled to hold up, continuing a season in which his Pro Football Focus grades have lagged and the ball production has not followed.
What makes the situation tougher is that the Bears do not have many easy answers at outside cornerback. Johnsons contract makes a clean breakup unrealistic, so the team is left trying to find fixes around a position that already looks thin, with little room to simply move on and start over. [Read more 🡒]