In the end it wouldn’t matter, but the Green Bay Packers did not put themselves in an advantageous position in the final minute of their game against the Chicago Bears in order to try and steal the 6th seed in the NFC.
At the two-minute warning, the Bears had the ball 1st & 10 at the Green Bay 43, and the game in control. But a fumble on the first play out of the break gave the guys in green possession in opposing territory. The offense stalled, forcing a 55 yard kick from Brandon McManus that tied his season long, but when the ball sailed through the uprights the Packers had a 22-21 lead.
In Dallas, the Cowboys had a chance to stop the Commanders offense in the red zone to pull off an upset that would shuttle a victorious Packers team into the playoffs with a better seed and an opponent not named Philadelphia.
Washington ended u punching it in for a 23-19 win, but that turned out to be irrelevant. Having run less than a minute off the clock before the field goal try, Green Bay gave Caleb Williams enough time to construct a drive that culminated in a Cairo Santos 51-yard kick with 2 seconds left, securing the Bears’ 24-22 upset.
While it was a disappointing end for the Packers, it is hardly the most worrisome thing on their plates. That would be the injuries to Christian Watson and Jordan Love.
Crushing Injuries for Green Bay Packers in an Ultimately Meaningless Game
Watson and Love left the game less than two minutes apart in the second quarter. Running his route, Watson tumbled to the turf untouched with what turned out to be a knee injury. A couple plays later, Love hurt his elbow on a down that wouldn’t even count thanks to a Bears defensive penalty.
Also concerning is the fact that backup QB Malik Willis seemed to experience discomfort in his own throwing hand after the Packers’ offense retreated to the sideline. He returned to the field for the series, however, so hopefully that it will not prove to be a material issue.
What Packers fans are really hoping right now is that their first round matchup with the Eagles doesn’t come down to needing their backup QB at all. No doubt Pack Nation is anxiously awaiting a postgame update on Love’s status, and on Watson’s as well. The Packers second-leading wide receiver ultimately departed on a cart.
Looking Ahead to the Postseason, Green Bay Packers Hope for Good News on Jordan Love and Christian Watson
Despite the uncertainty around these injuries, betting lines are already out for Green Bay’s game in Philadelphia. The Eagles have opened as 3.5-point favorites. Green Bay is listed at +150 on the moneyline and the total is sitting at 47.5.
As the status of Love and Watson becomes clearer, these numbers will likely shift.
The Eagles are dealing with quarterback murkiness of their own. Jalen Hurts has sat out the past two weeks with a concussion after leaving in the first quarter in Week 16. His absence was no surprise today, of course, as Philadelphia sat most of their key guys in a meaningless game against the Giants.
Earlier this week, Hurts reportedly participated in a walk-through at practice, which is a positive sign for his potential return. Clarification on his status during the week should affect the betting lines as well.
The Packers will face a lot of second-guessing as a result of Love’s and Watson’s injuries, but really they were unavoidable. Sitting starters in the first half would not have made much sense in an impactful game, especially with Dallas up early on the Commanders. If they had gotten hurt in the last 30 minutes of play, it might be a different story, but as it is, it would be ludicrous to fault coach Matt LeFleur for playing his guys. It is simply unfortunate.
The final week of the season went just about as bad as Packers faithful could have feared– brutal injuries, a frustrating, if unimportant loss. Spirits are deflated, but hopefully positive injury updates will restore some enthusiasm in the days ahead.
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