The Green Bay Packers had their fans thinking about a trip to face the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, as they had a three-score lead against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears in their Wild Card matchup. Losing 31-27 would have sounded improbable, but that is exactly what happened.
Not only did blowing a 21-3 halftime lead and allowing Chicago to score 25 points in the fourth quarter rip the collective heart out of this fanbase and set it ablaze, but the fact that a victory would have been secured had it not been for special teams mistakes from kicker Brandon McManus is simply a punch right to this fanbase's heart.
McManus left seven points on the board in this four-point loss, as he missed two field goals (including one when the game was 27-24 in favor of Green Bay), and an extra point. If McManus makes those kicks, the Bears would have lost at home as a No. 2 seed.
The Packers believed McManus would nail these kicks in this situation, which is why they gave him a contract extension in the offseason. That decision may have contributed to a nasty playoff loss that will live in infamy in the annals of Packers history.
Packers kicker Brandon McManus cost the team in playoff choke vs. Bears
McManus may have been lights out in the 2024 season, but this year was especially dismal. His field goal percentage dropped from 95.2 percent to 80.0 percent this season, and he made just half (6-12) of his kicks from 40 yards out or greater. That percentage from distance in the modern NFL is unacceptable.
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Green Bay's special teams have been a problem all year long despite employing one of the most well-regarded and well-compensated special teams coordinators in the league in Rich Bisaccia. Both he and McManus may not have very much job security after this game.
The Packers might find it harder than usual to get up off the mat in 2026. With Micah Parsons expected to miss a chunk of next year as he recovers from his injury, and his subsequent trade eliminating their first-round NFL Draft pick, the Packers may need to run it back with the pieces they have, McManus included.
It may be unfair to apply so much of the blame to one player (especially a kicker) when there are 53 guys and a head coach all involved in this mess, but McManus' contributions to this collapse are as clear as day.