Bears fans went on an emotional rollercoaster as Chicago fell to Green Bay on Sunday night at Lambeau Field, losing their hold on first place in the NFC North.
Fans packed Staley’s Bar in the South Loop to watch the game, riding the highs and lows as the Bears fought for a lead. But cheers turned to frustration as the game slipped away in the final moments.
Keisean Nixon intercepted Caleb Williams’ pass in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining to preserve Green Bay’s 28-21 victory. The Bears were facing fourth-and-1 from Green Bay’s 14-yard line when Williams faked a handoff and rolled to his left. Tight end Cole Kmet had gotten behind Nixon in the end zone, but Nixon made a leaping grab and the Bears’ five-game winning streak ended as they fell a half-game behind the Packers in the division.
“They should have ran the ball. I don’t understand why you threw the ball,” said Bears fan Kieth Lindsey.
Lindsey wasn’t alone in questioning the play.
But Williams blamed himself in that moment — not the play.
“In those moments, it’s you know, a got-to-have-it-moment,” said Williams, who went 19 of 35 for 186 yards with two touchdowns. “And they had a guy trailing me, so, I didn’t feel like I could go get it myself (by running). I’ve just got to give Cole a better shot at it. I think next time, just extend him a little bit more and kind of lead him. But in those moments, you want to put the ball in play and trust your guy or try to have your guy go make a play, and (I’ve) just got to give him a better ball.”
Coach Ben Johnson said the Bears ran a similar play in their previous game, a win at Philadelphia, and it resulted in a 28-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Kmet.
“So we’ve got multiple options on that play,” Johnson said. “Caleb felt like Cole was open, and we didn’t hit it. That’s kind of my extent from the sideline. I got to go back and I got to look at it.”
The matchup carried added weight with the Bears entering the night atop the division. Their loss now hands the NFC North lead back to Green Bay, renewing the intensity of one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries.
The two NFC North teams are founding members of the NFL and have played more games against each other than any other teams in the league.
Among the crowd at Staley’s was a newlywed couple navigating their own divided loyalties.
Dylan Hamkey, a Bears fan, and his wife, Rachel Hurley, a Packers fan, tied the knot Saturday before finding themselves rooting for opposite sides less than 24 hours later.
“You know, when I found out Rachel was a Packers fan I just kind of moved on because she’s so great,” Hamkey said. “I can move past it, though it’s a tough matchup now.”
Hurley said she tries to keep a calm demeanor during the games and wait until the final score.
Chicago will get another shot at Green Bay in two weeks when the teams meet again at Soldier Field.
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