Chicago Bears: Three Biggest Takeaways from 38-20 Loss to Packers

CHICAGO BEARS: THREE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM 38-20 LOSS TO PACKERS – Following a dismal 3-14 2022 season, the Bears and their fans were hoping that better days were ahead.

They added solid pieces on the defensive side of the football. After acquiring DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers, along with the expectations of Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney being healthy, the consensus was the team was potentially ready to take the next step as a collective whole. 

Then, reality hit. 

Even without Aaron Rodgers, what was supposed to be a new chapter being written in this rivalry, looked eerily the same as what we had seen over the past several decades. Yep, Chicago kept it close early, trailing 10-6 going into the break. 

Related: Bills at Jets Expert Pick and Prediction

What appeared to be a competitive contest turned out to be anything but that. When it was all said and done, the Bears fell to the hated Packers for the ninth straight time. And the final score of 38-20 was not indicative of how one-sided this game was. 

So, with that sentiment in mind, here are the biggest takeaways from the Bears’ season-opening loss to the Packers. 

Third Quarter Was The Turning Point In This Contest

After producing 10 points in the first half, the Packers scored two touchdowns in the third quarter that all but put the game out of reach.

The first score was set up when Jordan Love connected with Aaron Jones for a 51-yard reception, putting the Packers at the Bears’ seven-yard line. The possession resulted in a touchdown, giving the Packers a 17-6 lead. 

Later in the third quarter, Love connected with Jones again. This time for a 35-yard touchdown reception that provided the road team with a 24-6 lead at the 6:26 mark, thus giving the fanbase an all too familiar feeling against the team’s bitter rival. 

Bears’ Ground Game And Offensive Line Still A Work In Progress

One of the issues with this team last season was the inconsistent play of the offensive line. Now, if you look at the box score, you will see that the Bears produced 122 rushing yards on 4.2 yards per carry. The caveat here is Fields accounted for 59 of those yards on nine carries (6.6 YPC). 

If you take his numbers out of the mix, the Bears’ ground game was nearly non-existent as the rest of the team produced a pedestrian 53 yards on 20 rushing attempts.

Additionally, the Packers’ defense generated pressure on Fields most of the afternoon en route to recording four sacks. Yes, it is only one game, but Chicago needs to win the battle at the line of scrimmage if they are going to improve on a forgettable 2022 campaign.

Jordan Love Outplayed Justin Fields

The new era that is unfolding in this NFC-North rivalry was centered on the play of the two young quarterbacks under center for their respective teams.

Fields is entering the third year of his NFL career, while Love has spent the last three seasons as Aaron Rodgers’ understudy. Love came into this matchup with only one start under his belt – a game against the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2021 when Rodgers was sidelined with COVID-19. 

Despite his lack of experience, it was Love who outplayed his counterpart. Fields completed 24 of 37 passes for 216 yards to go along with one touchdown and one interception. Fields’ quarterback rating (QBR) was 21.7 and his passer rating was 78.2. 

The Love Machine

Meanwhile, Love completed 15 of 27 passes for 245 yards along with three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. His QBR was 73.5 and his passer rating was 123.2. Not only that, but Love also completed seven of his nine attempts on third downs for 106 yards. So, not only did he play well overall, but he also played well in critical situations as well. 

In the final analysis, it is still only one game. But it always feels like a lot more than that when you lose to a team in your division. This especially holds true if said team has had a ton of success against you.

While one game should not and cannot define a season, the Bears have their work cut out for them as they prepare for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that upended the Minnesota Vikings 20-17 on the road this week.