Incredible…Wet Blanket

The Bears scored ten points with 2:04 left in regulation to force overtime against the Packers in a rocking Soldier Field last night and then went on to win on a 46-yard touchdown throw from Caleb Williams to DJ Moore. Nothing short of incredible. Now for the stuff that might otherwise be forgotten in all the excitement, like ten penalties for 105 yards. That can’t happen in the postseason. Same goes for time of possession. You can’t expect to beat a good team by letting them control the ball over twelve minutes more than you do. And you can’t expect to beat a good team by knocking out their starting quarterback with a concussion, which is what the Bears did to Jordan Love in the second quarter. And you can’t let the backup quarterback perform like he was the starter. Malik Willis went 9-for-11 for 121 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. Willis also rushed for 44 yards on ten carries. Pout it all together, and he had a 142.8 rating. The Bears struggled to beat a Packers’ team without edge rusher Micah Parsons playing and Love playing just over a quarter; there were other Green Bay injuries as well that, together, probably explain why they went 0-for-5 in the red zone. You can’t expect the opposition to misfire like that in the postseason. Speaking of misfiring, Bears’ coach Ben Johnson must wondering how long his quarterback will keep scrambling to his right only to heave desperation throws; it isn’t pretty, and it isn’t effective. If I’m reading the stats correctly, Caleb Williams has been called four times for intentional grounding while doing his escape act, right, left or in the hands of an opponent. Of the four teams that have done it four or more times, only the Bears are going to the postseason, where you definitely don’t want it to happen. That said, a win’s a win, and a win against the Packers is always nice.