CHICAGO – The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears, 35-16, on Sunday at Soldier Field. The Bears finish the regular season at 8-8, but will sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Catch up on everything you missed during Sunday’s game here.
Packers earn the top seed in the NFC
The Packers closed out a 35-16 victory over the Bears. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers finished his day with 240 yards and four touchdowns on 19-for-24 passing. The Packers locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which includes a first-round bye.
The Bears, despite the loss, earned a Wild Card spot in the playoffs thanks to a little help from the Los Angeles Rams.
Final.#GBvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/fo0UJgRzH4
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 4, 2021
Rams beat the Cardinals, Bears are playoff bound
Despite the rough day at Soldier Field, the Bears are heading to the postseason with a Wild Card bid. The Los Angeles Rams held off the Arizona Cardinals, 18-7, on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
With the Rams’ win, the Bears secured a playoff spot. The Bears and Cardinals finished with identical 8-8 records, but the Bears won the tiebreaker.
Packers pick off Trubisky, add another TD
Packers safety Adrian Amos intercepted a Mitch Trubisky pass intended for tight end Cole Kmet, ending a Bears possession on just its second play. Amos, of course, played for the Bears from 2015 to 2018.
.@_SmashAmos31 with the INT!#GBvsCHI | #GoPackGo
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 4, 2021
📺 FOX
📱 https://t.co/2UxGSiVlvn pic.twitter.com/LcUgHVD28h
The Packers turned the interception into a 26-yard scoring drive, capped by Aaron Rodger’s fourth touchdown pass of the day. Rodgers connected with Davante Adams on a 6-yard touchdown pass. Rodgers has now thrown 48 touchdowns on the season.
The Packers extended their lead to 35-16 late in the fourth quarter.
TD throw No. 4️⃣ for @AaronRodgers12 goes to @tae15adams! 🙌
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 4, 2021
#GBvsCHI | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX
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Jones adds a Packers touchdown
After a Bears turnover on downs, the Packers drove 76 yards in 12 plays to extend their lead to double digits. Running back Aaron Jones punched in a 4-yard touchdown run. Green Bay pulled ahead by 12 points, 28-16, with 3:47 remaining in the game.
UP THE MIDDLE!
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 4, 2021
TOUCHDOWN, @Showtyme_33! 🙌#GBvsCHI | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX
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Mooney goes down with an injury, Bears fail on fourth down
Bears receiver Darnell Mooney suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. Mooney limped off the field and up the tunnel to the Bears locker room. The Bears later said Mooney will be out for the remainder of the game.
Meanwhile, the Bears went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Green Bay 25-yard line and failed to convert. Lining up in the shotgun, Mitch Trubisky threw an incomplete pass intended for Allen Robinson. A field goal try would’ve been about a 42-yard attempt.
Green Bay took over on downs, holding a 21-16 lead.
Santos sets Bears record for consecutive made field goals
Powered by a 53-yard completion from Mitch Trubisky to receiver Darnell Mooney, the Bears flipped the field position on the Packers, but were unable to come away with a touchdown. On fourth-and-goal from the 2, Matt Nagy sent out the field goal unit.
Kicker Cairo Santos made a 20-yard field goal try, setting a new Bears record with his 27th consecutive made field goal. Santos is still a ways off the NFL record of 44 consecutive makes set by Adam Vinatieri in 2016.
A new #Bears all-time record, 27 consecutive field goals for Cairo Santos! That breaks Robbie Gould's record of 26 in a row between the 2005-06 seasons. pic.twitter.com/gXzt5A3gnQ
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) January 3, 2021
Santos adds another field goal, Packers lead 21-13 at halftime
Bears kicker Cairo Santos made a 27-yard field goal to pull the Bears within eight points. It marked Santos’ 26th straight made field goal, tying the team record set by Robbie Gould in 2005 and 2006.
The Packers took a 21-13 lead into halftime. They will receive the second-half kickoff.
Make it 26 in a row now for Santos, that ties the all-time Bears record for consecutive makes with Robbie Gould who made his last two of the 2005 season, then his first 24 in Weeks 1-11 in 2006.
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) January 3, 2021
Kmet’s fumble leads to a Packers touchdown
Two plays after the Packers took the lead, Bears tight end Cole Kmet caught a pass from quarterback Mitch Trubisky and fumbled deep in Bears territory. Green Bay took over at the Bears’ 22-yard line. On second-and-goal from the 13, quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected with tight end Dominique Dafney for a touchdown.
The Packers extended their lead to 21-10 late in the second quarter.
.@AaronRodgers12 finds @DDafney24 for the TOUCHDOWN!#GBvsCHI | #GoPackGo
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 3, 2021
📺 FOX
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Rodgers throws a 72-yard touchdown
On a third-down play midway through the second quarter, the Bears brought pressure on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Rodgers made them pay. Rodgers connected with receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a 72-yard touchdown pass.
Valdes-Scantling beat Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan and ran untouched to the end zone. The Packers took a 14-10 advantage.
With the touchdown, Rodgers broke his own Packers team record with his 46th touchdown pass this season.
🚨 BIG PLAY ALERT 🚨
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 3, 2021
7️⃣2️⃣-yard TD catch for @MVS__11 💪 #GBvsCHI | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX
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Santos’ field goal gives the Bears a 10-7 lead
Bears kicker Cairo Santos nailed a 30-yard field goal to give the Bears the lead, 10-7, at the 10:08 mark of the second quarter.
Santos has now made 25 consecutive field goals. He is one shy of tying Robbie Gould’s team record of 26 consecutive made field goals, set during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Santos has already bested Gould’s single-season team record of 24 consecutive made field goals, set during the 2006 season.
Tonyan gets the Packers on the scoreboard
McHenry native Robert Tonyan scored a touchdown on a 3-yard pass from Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It marked Tonyan’s 11th touchdown on the season. The Packers pulled even, 7-7, with the Bears early in the second quarter.
Green Bay drove 64 yards down field on 12 plays during its opening offensive possession.
[Read more: Once an undrafted free agent, Robert Tonyan Jr. now in contention for Pro Bowl spot]
.@AaronRodgers12 connects with @RobTonJr!
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 3, 2021
TOUCHDOWN! 🙌#GBvsCHI | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX
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Bears linebacker Roquan Smith leaves game with injury
On a second-and-6 play late in the first quarter, Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith suffered an elbow injury. Smith was down on the field for several minutes. After a brief trip to the injury tent on the team sideline, Smith headed up the Soldier Field tunnel to the locker room. Smith walked to the locker room under his own power.
Smith was officially listed as “questionable” to return by the Bears due to an elbow injury. It would be a big blow to the Bears if Smith were unable to return. He entered the week at fifth in the NFL with 136 tackles. He also leads the Bears with 17 tackles for loss.
After brief injury scare, David Montgomery punches in a touchdown
On a 3-yard run during the game’s opening drive, Bears running back David Montgomery remained down on the field with an apparent injury and was slow to get up. Montgomery walked off the field under his own power and spent a couple minutes in the injury tent. He did, however, return to the field a few plays later.
Moments later, Montgomery capped a 14-play, 60-yard touchdown drive for the Bears with a 2-yard touchdown run. Montgomery has now scored a touchdown in six consecutive games.
You can't keep @MontgomerDavid down! Opening drive SCORE!
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 3, 2021
📺: FOX
GBvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/rGEbI30sUR
Sunday’s inactives
The Bears will once again be testing the depth of their secondary. Defensive backs Buster Skrine (concussion), Jaylon Johnson (shoulder) and Deon Bush (foot) are officially inactive for the Bears.
Defensive backs Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelley should see significant playing time again Sunday. The Packers will have former All-Pro defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison active after picking him up on waivers from Seattle.
Read the full inactive report here.
The injury report
Bears cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Buster Skrine were officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
Johnson will miss his third consecutive game since injuring his shoulder Dec. 13 against the Houston Texans. Skrine will miss his fourth straight game since suffering a concussion on Dec. 6 against the Detroit Lions.
The Bears will likely start rookie cornerback Kindle Vildor. Vildor, a fifth-round draft pick in the spring, earned his first start last week. Second-year cornerback Duke Shelley has also seen a rise in playing time with Johnson and Skrine out.
The Packers are playing without starting left tackle David Bakhtiari, who tore his ACL in practice this week. The team officially placed him on injured reserve Saturday. Bakhtiari earned his third career Pro Bowl selection this season. It’s a huge loss for the Packers this week and looking ahead to the postseason.
#Packers place T David Bakhtiari on injured reserve.
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 2, 2021
Roster moves 📰 https://t.co/51hvX0AkI3
The playoff picture
The simplest way for the Bears to lock up a playoff spot would be to beat the Packers. With a win, they are in.
If they lose, they can still reach the playoffs if the Los Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Both games kick off simultaneously at 3:25 p.m. If the Bears lose and Arizona wins, the Cardinals will make the playoffs and the Bears’ season will be over.
#Bears coach Matt Nagy said he prefers not to have the Cardinals/Rams score on the video boards at Soldier Field this Sunday.
— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) December 31, 2020
What to read before kickoff
Week 17 staff predictions: Bears vs. Packers
Hub Arkush: Sunday’s game vs. Packers is Bears biggest test in a decade
3 things to know about the Bears’ Week 17 opponent, the Green Bay Packers
What you missed this week
Sunday’s game vs. Packers will have huge implications for Mitch Trubisky
Can the Bears get more pressure on MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers?
Lake Barrington native Cole Kmet: ‘No green or yellow in my house’
Hub Arkush: The Pro Bowl is a joke, and not because Roquan Smith didn’t make the team
Bear Down, Nerd Up: David Montgomery is playing at an elite level
Week 17 power rankings: Seattle’s D rounds into form; Saints show how dangerous they could be