Look, everyone knows how badly last week went for the Green Bay Packers.
While seeding ultimately became a moot point because of the Washington Commanders' win against the Dallas Cowboys, a win in Week 18 would have been nice for fans to see as Green Bay prepares for a playoff matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
I have been doing this series all season long, and while this was a tough one to rewatch, it did actually give me a degree of confidence ahead of the wild-card matchup against the Eagles. So, "After Further Review," what lessons from the Packers' loss to the Chicago Bears can they take into the playoffs?
What can the Packers learn from their loss to the Bears entering the playoffs?
1. Brandon McManus provides incredible stability
We are going to start with one of the positives from the matchup against the Bears: the success of Brandon McManus. McManus was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals with a long of 55 while booting through his only extra-point attempt. Field goals aren't always a given in the cold weather, especially from 55 yards, yet McManus was flawless.
In fact, McManus has been almost perfect since Green Bay acquired him, with his only miss this season coming against Detroit in a game impacted severely by weather.
I have written about McManus in this column before, but given how the last year and a half went, I am going to keep doing so when he does well. The Packers were bounced out of the playoffs last season due, in part, to shaky kicking by Anders Carlson. Brayden Narveson was Green Bay's kicker when the Eagles and Packers first squared off in Week 1, where he also missed a field goal.
Missed kicks don't only take points off the board on that possession, but they also force coaches to rely on the offense further in the game, and more likely to go for it on fourth down if they do not have confidence in the kicker. By now having a stable option, the Packers don't have to necessarily end up in the end zone to wind up with points.
2. Bisaccia, please
Clever pun aside, as good as McManus has been, other special teams areas have struggled. Rich Bisaccia's unit was responsible for a massive gaffe against Chicago last weekend. The Bears ran a misdirection on a kick return, with their return unit running toward the opposite end of where the kick was headed, bringing the Packers' coverage with them. Josh Blackwell snuck to the top side of the screen and had two men to beat for a 94-yard score.
This is as simple as staying grounded to the call, knowing it was supposed to be a punt left, and following through and taking a peak at the ball. Of course, there are very untimely penalties that have seemed to plague this unit all season long, including the game's opening kickoff that wiped out Bo Melton's return. This unit will need to be on its A-game to potentially upset the Eagles.
3. Keep Jordan Love upright
By no means was Jordan Love and the Packers' offense thriving early on, but things went sideways when he left the ballgame. While Malik Willis was serviceable while also proving why he is a backup, make no bones about it, Green Bay is better with Love. The Packers pulled Josh Jacobs after the Love and Christian Watson injuries and mentally seemed caught between waiving the white flag and going all-in.
The message is simple on this one: keep Jordan Love's jersey white, keep the Eagles' pass rush off him, and things will be positive.
4. Keep the offense simple
One of Packers fans' critiques this season has been Matt LaFleur's want to be "too cute" with the offense. This was evidenced in a big way on the first play of the fourth quarter when LaFleur went with a jet sweep on 4th-and-3. Jayden Reed ended up losing two yards on the play. It was an ugly play that, quite frankly, hasn't been wildly successful and was doomed from the snap against the Bears.
Reed needs to be more involved in the Packers' gameplan. The second-year receiver out of Michigan State has struggled to find the same success from his rookie campaign. Jet sweeps have been one way to go about this. Maybe Philadelphia will be the game to get him going, but Josh Jacobs should be the focal point.
5. Help is on the way for the defense
All in all, the Packers' defense was pretty solid against the Bears, allowing just 224 yards and forcing a Keenan Allen interception when Chicago tried a trick play. The unit did allow two Bears touchdowns, one of which came on a short field after the Jayden Reed fumble in the late part of the first quarter.
Green Bay got some great news, with Evan Williams, T.J. Slaton, and leading tackler Quay Walker trending towards playing. Walker and Edgerrin Cooper being available would give the Packers an explosive middle of their defense, with Slaton also clogging up rushing lanes. Williams' return puts Javon Bullard back to the slot and has the Packers' two best safeties on the field.