The Green Bay Packers’ defense came into Sunday’s game missing two key pieces-Micah Parsons and Evan Williams-but for nearly the full 60 minutes, they played well enough to win. They held the Chicago Bears to just nine points through 59 minutes and 36 seconds of regulation.
That’s the kind of effort that usually gets you a W. But football isn’t about “almost.”
In the final seconds, with everything on the line, Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams found Jahdae Walker wide open in the end zone for the game-tying touchdown-a breakdown in coverage that wiped out what had been an otherwise gutsy performance by Green Bay's defense.
Let’s be clear: the defense did its job. The cracks in the Packers’ foundation started showing earlier, when Jordan Love was ruled out before halftime.
That changed the game’s trajectory. From there, things began to unravel.
Josh Jacobs’ fumble at the 2-yard line-on a drive where even a field goal likely seals the win-was a gut punch. Then came the special teams miscue: Romeo Doubs couldn’t secure the onside kick, giving the Bears the ball at midfield with just over a minute left. That sequence flipped the pressure squarely onto the shoulders of a defense that had already spent most of the afternoon holding the line.
To their credit, the defense nearly slammed the door shut. After Chicago moved the ball down to the 6-yard line, Green Bay forced two incompletions on second and third down.
On third, they showed a cover-0 look-everyone at the line of scrimmage, suggesting an all-out blitz-but post-snap, they dropped a defensive lineman into coverage and brought pressure from the opposite side. The goal?
Confuse the protection, create a free rusher, and get in Caleb Williams’ face before he could set his feet.
It worked. Almost.
On fourth down, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley dialed up the same pressure and shell coverage. This time, though, the execution broke down. The Packers showed eight defenders at the line and three in off coverage-an aggressive look meant to force a quick decision from the rookie QB.
From Williams’ perspective, the read was fairly straightforward. The Packers weren’t sending more than six, and the Bears had three eligible receivers to the left side, matched by three defenders.
That dictated the offensive line’s slide protection, which moved right, leaving Brenton Cox Jr. (No. 57) unblocked off the left edge.
That’s by design-Cox was the free rusher, and he got immediate pressure.
Meanwhile, the Bears ran a classic red zone concept-slant/angle combination. It’s a staple across the league.
In LaFleur’s system, it’s called “Pile.” In older Dolphins playbooks, it’s “Angle.”
Whatever the name, the goal is the same: create quick separation and force a coverage decision in tight quarters.
The Bears ran the concept from a stacked formation, with two receivers aligned tightly. The Packers countered with a banjo coverage-Nate Hobbs inside and Keisean Nixon outside.
In banjo, defenders switch responsibilities based on the route releases. Hobbs takes the first inside cut, Nixon takes the first outside.
It’s a communication-heavy technique, and it has to be executed perfectly.
This time, it wasn’t.
As the play developed, Hobbs jumped the slant route, and Karl Brooks dropped into the low middle zone to cut off any quick throws underneath. But Nixon also bit on the slant.
That left Jahdae Walker wide open running the angle route to the back pylon. With Cox bearing down, Williams got the throw off just in time.
Touchdown. Tie game.
After the game, reporters made a beeline for Nixon’s locker, trying to get answers. Hobbs stepped in, shielding his teammate from the media and fielding the questions himself. He didn’t go into detail, only calling it a “miscommunication.”
And that’s really what it was-a mental lapse at the worst possible time. Whether it was Nixon’s assignment or Hobbs’ isn’t clear without someone owning it directly.
But what is clear: the Packers were one clean coverage away from sealing a hard-fought win. Instead, a busted assignment led to a crushing touchdown and, ultimately, a game that slipped through their fingers.
This loss wasn’t about one play. It was about a series of missed opportunities-Love’s injury, Jacobs’ fumble, the botched onside kick, and yes, the final coverage bust.
The defense deserved better. But in this league, “almost” doesn’t show up in the standings.