3 Issues Packers Have to Clean Up after Sloppy Win Over Bears

2. Red Zone Woes

Green Bay’s offensive struggles weren’t confined to time of possession (they held the ball for a season-low 23 minutes and 39 seconds)—they carried into the red zone as well. Despite converting three of their five trips into touchdowns, the other two squandered opportunities nearly came back to haunt them.

One missed chance began with promise. On first and ten from the Bears’ 14-yard line, Josh Jacobs broke off a nine-yard run, setting up a manageable second and one at the five. Then, the wheels fell off.

Elgton Jenkins was flagged for an ineligible man downfield, pushing the Packers back to the 10. On the next play, Jayden Reed was sent on a trick run to the outside that fooled no one and resulted in a five-yard loss.

Now facing third and eleven from the 15, Jordan Love dropped back to pass and missed Tucker Kraft, who was wide open seven yards past the line of scrimmage. Instead of hitting his target, Love’s throw sailed high and landed in the arms of a Bears defender for a deflating interception.

The second failure came on fourth and goal from the six-yard line, where Green Bay turned the ball over on downs after another stalled drive.

Red zone inefficiency has been a season-long issue for the Packers, and it reared its head again against Chicago. Scoring touchdowns on only three of five trips inside the 20 simply won’t cut it—especially against better competition. If Green Bay wants to make noise in January, they’ll need to turn these near-misses into points immediately.