The Chicago Bears were crushed by their divisional rivals in Week 5, falling to 0-2 in NFC North play. The result was especially disappointing considering Chicago had an opportunity to gain ground in the divisional race and take control of its rivalry with the Green Bay Packers. With Tyson Bagent starting while Caleb Williams recovered from an injury, concerns about Bagent’s road performances proved legitimate. Those concerns came back to bite the Bears, and head coach Ben Johnson didn’t shy away from acknowledging the team’s shortcomings.
“The things that we had done well in the three victories that we had this year, they didn’t show up today,” Johnson said. “We didn’t take care of the football. We didn’t execute at a very high level in the run game or the passing game.”
Two major statistics doomed the Bears and contributed to their collapse at Lambeau Field: five turnovers and just 81 rushing yards.
Bears’ Running Game Was Mauled by the Pack
The Bears lost the turnover battle 5-0 and managed just 81 rushing yards, a significant drop from their league-leading average of nearly 200 yards per game entering the matchup. Chicago’s offense had no answer for a Packers defense that effectively shut down its ground game. The backup quarterbacks struggled to keep the offense afloat, accounting for four of the team’s five turnovers.
With the offense unable to sustain drives and the turnovers repeatedly putting the Bears’ defense in difficult field positions, the game quickly turned into a snowball effect. Chicago struggled to regain its footing as mistakes piled up, allowing Green Bay to pull away for a lopsided victory.
The Packers made the most of their opportunities, while the Bears failed to replicate the execution that had fueled their three previous victories.
Where Do the Bears Go From Here?
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The biggest challenge for Chicago moving forward is the uncertainty at quarterback. Johnson had the option to stick with a more experienced option in the lineup, but he chose to start Bagent instead. Now, the Bears must prepare for two potential scenarios heading into Week 6: Williams returns from injury, or another backup takes the reins.
Chicago travels to Atlanta next, where the Falcons could have quarterback questions of their own. However, the Bears must focus on correcting their own issues regardless of who lines up under center.
Williams’ status remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Chicago must find a way to reestablish its ground game and protect the football. The Bears’ struggles against Green Bay stemmed largely from those two areas, and they cannot afford a repeat performance if they hope to bounce back in Week 6.
