Packers Start Fast, Lead Bears in NFC Wild-Card Game

The Bears drove into scoring position on the ensuing possession. On fourth-and-2 at the start of the fourth quarter, Caleb Williams found D.J. Moore wide open over the middle for a gain of 18. Moments later, the Bears faced a fourth-and-6 from Green Bay’s 40. Williams went deep to Luther Burden and was intercepted by Carrington Valentine.

Valentine didn’t have an interception this season and shouldn’t have caught this one, as it cost the Packers 27 yards of field position. Still, it was a big stop for Green Bay.

The Bears won the opening coin toss, took the ball and hogged the ball for 16 plays and 8 minutes before settling for Cairo Santos’ 27-yard field goal.

Chicago converted a third-and-3, a third-and-8, a third-and-1 and a third-and-12. The third-and-8 conversion was especially egregious. The Bears ran a receiver screen and a three-on-two advantage, with a double-team block against Keisean Nixon letting Luther Burden gain 12.

The Packers did get a stop, though. On third-and-5, Rashan Gary had late pressure to force a throwaway.

Heavy snow covered the field before the game but it had melted during pregame warmups. While it was cold outside, temperatures were hot as the teams got into a pregame disagreement. Coach Matt LaFleur was in the middle of the fray, leading his players out of the dispute.

For LaFleur, this was his sixth playoff appearance in seven seasons. He led the team to NFC Championship Games in 2019 and 2020 but just one playoff win since.

What does it take to succeed in the playoffs?

“I think the more normal you can make it, the better chance you have,” he said this week. “Throughout my experiences, you’ve got to just do your job and focus on your job. We know this. Anytime you’re playing a really good football team, whether it’s in the playoffs or the regular season, every play is so critical. You can’t have lapses, whether it’s intensity, whether it’s mental lapses, you just can’t have them because every play is so valuable, so critical. There’s no wasted plays.

“And I think ultimately what it comes down to is your ability to execute. And I would say this: In the biggest of games, your best players have to play their best.”