Jordan Love exited the game with a concussion after a hard hit in the second quarter, leaving Green Bay with a fractured quarterback lineup as they fell 22-16 in overtime to the Chicago Bears.
The loss came on top of a growing list of injuries that have plagued the Packers, including John FitzPatrick’s Achilles injury and a tight end shortage after Zach Tom, Evan Williams and Josh Whyle were sidelined.
Love was shaken up when defensive lineman Austin Booker delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit on a sack, earning a roughing the passer penalty.
He jogged off the field, entered the blue injury tent on the Green Bay sideline, and later walked to the visiting locker room, with no update on his condition after the game.
Meanwhile, the defensive line was weakened by Micah Parsons tearing the ACL in his left knee during the team’s 34-26 loss at Denver last weekend.
Running back Josh Jacobs and receiver Christian Watson managed to play despite being listed as questionable, but the Packers still felt the impact of the missing players.
Green Bay’s record stood at 9-5-1 as they opened a 16-6 lead with a 28-yard field goal by Brandon McManus, 5:03 left in the third quarter.
Despite the early advantage, the team struggled to close out the game, going 0-5 in the red zone and falling 1-4 in those situations against Denver earlier in the season.
A botched on-side kick recovery by Romeo Doubs and a miscommunication between Malik Willis and Sean Rhyan in overtime set the stage for Caleb Williams’ game-ending touchdown pass for the Bears.
Willis, who replaced Love, finished the game with 121 passing yards on 9-of-11 completions, a 33-yard touchdown to Doubs, and 44 rushing yards on 10 carries.
“Just too many errors in critical moments that got us beat,” coach Matt LaFleur said after the loss.
He added, “That’s football, right? … You roll up your sleeves, you get back to work, and you continue to fight. And that’s what our guys will do.”
Willis later admitted responsibility for the snap miscue in overtime, saying, “Just a miscommunication between me and Sean. He wasn’t expecting me to change up the cadence, but the clock got low and I was just trying to hurry up and get a snap. So we’re just a little off timing, off kilter there. That’s on me.”
Doubs expressed disappointment in his performance, stating, “I just didn’t do the job right and like I said, I’ll take 100% of this game.”
“I hollered at him after the game, just really quickly,” Malik Willis told reporters. “I mean, I didn’t get to really get into it too much with him. Just let him know I’m praying for him and hope he’s ready to go.”
The injury list continues to grow, with tight end John FitzPatrick’s Achilles problem and the absence of key offensive linemen further limiting the team’s options.
With the Packers now in a precarious position in the NFC North, the focus will shift to staying resilient amid the roster challenges and preparing for the next matchup.
Key Takeaways
- Jordan Love exits with concussion after a hard hit.
- Backup Malik Willis throws 121 yards, 1 TD, and rushes 44 yards.
- Green Bay goes 0-5 in the red zone and loses 22-16 in overtime.
The Packers face an uphill battle as injuries mount and the team struggles to maintain momentum in a tight division race.
