
A botched onside kick, blown coverages, and a promising performance undone. The Green Bay Packers' OT collapse against the Chicago Bears stings in the worst way.
It will go down as perhaps the most disappointing Green Bay Packers' loss since the 2014 NFC Championship game loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Perhaps that's a bit hyperbolic, but there absolutely were a few shocking similarities.
There was the feeling that the Packers had the game in hand. Heck, they were up 16-6 with just under six minutes to go in the game.
There was the boneheaded special teams play. A botched onside kick return may have tanked this 2025 season.
Brandon Bostic meet Romeo Doubs.
There's the blown coverages from the defense, including the post route from the opponent that ended the game.
It's all just sickening. What was looking like a gritty win led by backup quarterback Malik Willis turned into one of the worst losses of this decade.
There's dissapointment to go around, but here are the three most disappointing things from this loss.
Disappointment #3: Malik Willis' awesome game now means nothing for the Packers
This is a somewhat positive wrapped in the negative, which is a great way to describe how this game felt. For 90-percent of it, the Packers had this game in the bag. Without Micah Parsons, without Zach Tom, without Evan Williams and even without Jordan Love, the Packers were clearly the more talented team.
When Love went down with a concussion early on, Malik Willis, perhaps the best backup in the NFL, came in and provided the Packers' offense an immense spark.
He finished the game completing 9-of-11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 10 times for 44 yards and was very explosive with his legs.
The problem? A lack of discipline and execution ruined what should have been a "Matt Flynn moment" for Willis and the Packers
Oh, and the last time he touched the ball led to a fumble, which wasn't good either.
Disappointment #2: Keisean Nixon ruined an otherwise great performance from Green Bay's defense
Keisean Nixon talks a lot of talk for a guy who ultimatly gets beaten multiple times a game. And yes, some of that is playing cornerback in the NFL. You've got to be confident and be able to move on from things quickly.
Nixon is a hot-head who has cost the Packers multiple times with stupid personal foul penalties, though, and he got exposed by the Bears for his lack of discipline and ultimately talent as a corner.
How do you say you should be a CB1 and blow a coverage like this against an undrafted rookie on a critical fourth down?
As if that wasn't bad enough, Nixon ultimately gave up the game-winner. And yes, it was a great play by Caleb Williams and DJ Moore, but the Packers had otherwise shut down Ben Johnson's offense. Jeff Hafley's defense allowed just nine points all the way up to the two-minute warning.
Nixon, overall, is a disappointing player talent-wise. All the extra curriculars just makes it that much harder to handle.
Disappointment #1: Rich Bisaccia still has a job at the time of this writing
You can make a case that every one of the Packers' five losses this season came down to special teams, and this one was no different.
Picture this: The Bears just kicked a field goal to make it a seven point game with under two minutes to go and they've already used timeouts. You know they're going to attempt an onside kick and all you have to do is basically fall on it and you'll win the game.
People are going to go ham on Doubs for screwing this one up and he deserves plenty of blame, but let's put most of the blame where it really lies.
In this scenario, Rich Bisaccia, the highest-paid special teams coach in the NFL, put Doubs in that spot on the hands team. He did that knowing full well that Doubs has had multiple concussions in his career to the point that he basically wears a pillow known as a Guardian Cap on his head.
So you put that guy in the line of fire in the biggest moment of the game? It's unconscionable.
It's also unconscionable if Matt LaFleur doesn't "tarmac" Bisaccia like USC did to Lane Kiffin years ago and leave him in Chicago. Let him check out some deep-dish pizza. Let him go see "The Bean" or take a stroll on Navy Pier.
Just don't let him back to Green Bay, LaFleur, or you may find yourself looking for another job this offseason as well.


