The Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers, 22-16, on Saturday night to improve to 11-4. It was the most important win of the season for the Bears, as they took down their biggest rival to take a stranglehold on the NFC North. Now, they have the inside track on hosting a playoff game at Soldier Field as the No. 2 seed. The No. 1 seed is still in play, as well.
For the Bears to get this win, it was not easy. There were ups and downs over the course of four quarters, but they found a way to win. Whether they are at their best or not, head coach Ben Johnson always has his guys playing hard until the very end. They win more than they lose as a result.
With that in mind, here’s how we graded each unit in Chicago’s massive win over Green Bay:
Offense: B-
The Bears offense found a way to score enough points to win. They didn’t score their first touchdown until there was less than a minute left in regulation time, but that tied the game up and forced overtime. When the game reached the extra quarter, Caleb Williams made a huge game-winning throw to hit DJ Moore for the touchdown. Their grade would have been much worse if they lost the game, but they made the plays they needed to when it mattered most. Williams threw for 250 yards and had two touchdown passes in the end, and the running game had 100+ yards combined between D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. They’d like to be a little better going into the playoffs, but they won once again and are sitting pretty.
Defense: A+
The defense is the biggest reason that the Bears won the football game. They only allowed 16 points in their “bend-don’t-break” style. There were a couple of big stops and turnovers near the goal line, and the Packers only had one touchdown in the entire game — and Chicago held them to 0-for-5 in the red zone. Of all the big plays that they had throughout, their signature moment came in overtime when they forced Green Bay into a turnover on downs. That allowed the offense to follow suit and execute the game-winning play. This created the most exciting sequence of events that the Bears have had in a long time.
Special Teams: A
When the kickoff team had a personal foul worth 15 yards on the opening kick, it felt like it might be a disaster in the making. However, that was the last issue for special teams throughout the game. Not only was Cairo Santos perfect on all of his field goals, including a 51-yarder in the whipping wind, and extra point attempts in the game, but they recovered an onside kick at the end of regulation. That gave them a chance to drive down the field and force overtime. Most of the time, special teams get an A as long as they do their jobs and don’t make much noise. More than that was needed of them in this one with the onside kick. That is arguably the most important play of Chicago’s season, and they deserve their flowers for getting it done.
Coaching: B
The Bears players never stop playing hard for their coaches. However, this was not a perfect game for the Bears, and the coaching staff deserves some criticism for the early stages. Ben Johnson elected to run a wildcat play on fourth-and-1 near the end zone on their first possession. That was a questionable time and place for a trick play, and it got worse when the snap was 10 feet too high for Kyle Monangai. In the second half, however, Johnson’s offense started to look more like the unit that they needed to be. It wasn’t until the final minute of the fourth quarter, however, that they scored their first touchdown, which is less than ideal. These offensive woes must be better if they want to make a run in the playoffs.
Johnson’s unit did redeem themselves, and from a head coaching perspective, their never-say-die attitude is something to speak highly of. That raises the grade significantly, especially since they won. Dennis Allen deserves some individual love. That defense was very good. Even when the Packers got close to scoring touchdowns, turnovers and stops kept them from running away, which made the comeback possible for the offense. Their big stop in overtime was the big moment for the group, and Allen’s scheming played a big role.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears report card: How we graded Chicago in Week 16 win vs. Packers
Reporting by Vincent Parise, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
