The Green Bay Packers were on course for a brilliant 2025 season until a season-ending 4-game losing streak shunted the team to the No. 7 seed and final spot in the NFC playoffs. That losing streak would grow to 5 games when they lost to the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
The Packers lost 2 of their 3 meetings with the Bears during the season, an indication that 33 years of dominance over their archrivals was coming to an end. The Packers were unable to control Bears quarterback Caleb Williams when the games were on the line, and the strong-armed signal-caller got the best of the Packers secondary on both occasions. He did so in spectacular fashion.
Prior to the season-ending losing streak, the Packers looked as though they might be the best team in the NFC, or at least one that could compete with the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams. The Packers had built a 9-3-1 record, with impressive wins over the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders to start the season, a narrow defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10 and consecutive NFC North wins over the Vikings, Lions and Bears before the downturn hit.
Quarterback Jordan Love was off to a brilliant start, RB Josh Jacobs was running over tacklers and the Packers had a solid receiver crew that included Romeo Doubs, speedster Christian Watson (after returning in Week 7) and tight end Tucker Kraft. Love was slowed by a late-season concussion that forced Malik Willis to take over under center, while Kraft suffered a season-ending torn ACL. The loss of Kraft took much of the steam out of the Packers offense.
The Packers had other issues that became much bigger problems once the offense started to slow down.
Defense struggled, particularly the secondary in key games
The Packers had some issues during the final weeks of the regular season and their one-week stay in the postseason with their defense. The pass defense was the biggest issue, and that weakness reared its head in the two losses to the Bears as well as a Week 15 34-26 loss to the Denver Broncos. Bo Nix riddled the Green Bay secondary with 302 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes.
Two weeks later, it was the run defense that was scorched by Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson was unable to play for Baltimore and Tyler Huntley was under center in his place. While the Packers held the Ravens passing game to 107 yards, Henry averaged 6.0 yards per carry and ran for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns.
In the two losses to the Bears, Williams got the best of the secondary. His OT touchdown pass doomed the Packers in the regular-season game and he threw two late TD passes in the 4th quarter to help the Bears eliminate the Packers and advance to the divisional round of the playoffs.
The Packers ranked 11th in points allowed (21.2 per game) and passing yards allowed (194.1 per game). General manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur must address the pass defense in free agency.
Safety Kevin Byard, Chicago Bears
The Packers would be wise to make Byard their first priority when it comes to shoring up the secondary. In addition to strengthening their biggest weakness with one of the finest defensive players in the league, they would fire a major shot against the Bears and weaken their long-time foes.
Byard is coming off a brilliant season in Chicago. He led the league with 7 interceptions, and the 11-year veteran from Middle Tennessee State was brilliant in all areas. He also had 93 tackles, 8 passes defensed and was both an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler for the third time in his career.
Byard has been quite consistent during his 8 years with the Tennessee Titans, 1 season with the Eagles and 2 with the Bears. He excels at diagnosing plays, bringing down the ball carrier and making sensational plays on the ball.
Byard understands what the quarterback and his receiver wants to do, and he will bait the quarterback into putting the ball up in an area where he can chase it down and either secure the pick or bat away the pass. The stellar safety has had 4 interceptions or more 6 times in his career.
In addition to bringing Byard in to shore up the Green Bay secondary, his departure would create huge problems for the Bears and head coach Ben Johnson. Byard has seen it all and excels at understanding what opposing offenses are going to do on each play. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen knows that Byard is a coach on the field and that his loss would severely weaken the Chicago defense.
That knowledge may be enough to get the Packers to make a substantive offer to bring him to Green Bay. The is a double-edged sword that the Packers must go for if they want to regain control of the rivalry.
