The Green Bay Packers got excellent performances in the passing game from several players and two takeaways on defense but were still unable to hold onto an 18-point halftime lead and lost 31-27 to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round on Saturday, ending the team’s 2025 season.
Matt LaFleur’s team failed to put the game away over and over again. The end result was a historic collapse.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ NFC Wild Card Round loss to the Bears:
Top 5 offense
Golden caught four passes, averaged 3.5 yards per route run, made a contested catch and broke three tackles after the catch on his 23-yard touchdown, earning an elite grade overall. Doubs had seven catches resulting in a first down or touchdown and averaged 3.44 yards per route run. Morgan allowed only one hurry over 49 pass-blocking snaps and was the offensive line’s second-highest rated run blocker. Love had three big time throws, was excellent from clean pockets and effective off play-action. Banks had the top run blocking grade, and he allowed only one hurry on 49 pass-blocking snaps.
Top 5 defense
Hopper played seven snaps, and he made a highlight play on an interception on fourth down in the red zone. Gary had a team-high six pressures, including a hit, and he made a run stop. Williams had a run stop, didn’t give up a catch in coverage and was in on 10 tackles. Ford was solid against the run across 18 total snaps. Van Ness had a sack, a quarterback hit, four pressures and a run stop, and his sack was a strip-sack on third down.
Bottom 5 offense
Musgrave ran 36 routes but had just one catch for nine yards, and he failed his contested catch opportunity in the end zone late. Walker had two penalties and allowed six pressures, including two quarterback hits, and he earned a team-low run blocking grade of 37.8. Like Walker, Belton allowed six pressures and two quarterback hits. Whyle was below average as a run blocker and had only one catch for seven yards on 16 routes run. Watson ran 41 routes but caught only three passes, and he went 0-for-2 on contested catches and nearly had a game-changing fumble.
Bottom 5 defense
McDuffie struggled in coverage, giving up two catches, and his run defense grade was 55.1. Walker was credited with giving up seven catches for 105 yards in coverage. Brooks had four pressures, including two quarterback hits, on 32 pass-rushing snaps, but his run defense grade was only 43.4. Valentine allowed two catches, including the go-ahead touchdown pass. Enagbare had three stops, but he produced only one hurry and gave up a key conversion to D’Andre Swift in the fourth quarter.
Special teams
Kicker Brandon McManus missed three kicks resulting in seven lost points. Ty’Ron Hopper had two tackles covering kicks and punts. Johnathan Baldwin and Arron Mosby both missed tackles, and Josh Whyle was penalized for holding on the opening kickoff.
Quarterback play
Jordan Love: 73.9
Love completed 18 of 30 passes for 252 yards and three touchdown passes from clean pockets, but he was under pressure on 17 of his 49 dropbacks. Love was credited with three big time throws and only one turnover worthy play. He had six throwaways and was hit twice as throwing. He averaged 11.8 yards per attempt and threw two of four touchdown passes off play-action. Love ended up completing only 3-of-12 passes on throws of at least 20 yards, but he was 5-of-6 for 85 yards on intermediate throws. Dennis Allen blitzed him 17 times.
Stat to know
Caleb Williams completed five passes thrown at least 20 yards, earning an elite 91.3 grade on deep throws. Six different Packers coverage players were credited with giving up a catch of at least 20 yards.
Another stat to know
Bears defensive ends Montez Sweat and Austin Booker combined for 12 pressures and five quarterback hits. Love was fantastic from clean pockets, as he was for most of the 2025 season, but pressure affected the Packers offense greatly in the second half.
Final stat to know
Brandon McManus finished the season making only 6 of 14 kicks of at least 40 yards, including misses from 40 or more yards in six different games, including four losses.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers PFF grades: Best, worst players from playoff loss to Bears
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
