In the blink of an eye, one of Matt LaFleur's best coaching efforts turned into his most gut-wrenching defeat.
The Green Bay Packers entered the game without three of their most irreplaceable players: Micah Parsons, Zach Tom, and Tucker Kraft. Jordan Love then took a scary hit and had to leave the game with a concussion, and Josh Jacobs later exited the contest.
Yet after coming within seconds of a famous victory, LaFleur must find a way to lift his players after a loss so brutal it could completely derail their season. With two huge games to go, he must find a way as a leader. LaFleur wasted no time delivering that message to his team.
"I was so proud of our guys, man. Just to be able to handle all the adversity and continue to battle and fight," LaFleur said. "I was really, really proud of the way our guys competed, the way they battled. It's tough. It's always tough in this league to have to rebound and get it together, but that's exactly what we're going to have to do, and that's exactly what we will do to get ready for a tough Baltimore team."
Matt LaFleur must find a way to lift his reeling Packers team after another heartbreaking defeat
Last week's loss in Denver drew comparisons to the 2014 NFC Championship debacle, a defeat so gut-wrenching that it still hurts to this day. It didn't feel like it could get any worse. The Packers lost Parsons, Tom, Christian Watson, and Evan Williams last Sunday, injuries they couldn't overcome despite taking control of the game.
This loss is far, far worse.
Green Bay entered its overtime drive with Love, Jacobs, Tom, and Romeo Doubs gone. And no Kraft. Or Elgton Jenkins. You could be forgiven for thinking the Packers were playing a preseason game based on the personnel available.
Yet they had the game in their hands. Per Next Gen Stats, the Bears had just a 0.5 percent win probability coming out of the two-minute warning, making this game the fifth-most probable loss since 2016.
That's the adversity LaFleur has to rally his team from. They've now been kicked in the stomach two weeks in a row, and the injury list is increasing. This Packers team is so beaten up that they resemble Jake Paul after six rounds against Anthony Joshua.
Green Bay has to win out to guarantee a playoff berth. One more loss opens the door for the Detroit Lions to steal the Packers' spot. Of course, the Lions might slip up along the way, but if they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend and then the Packers lose to the Baltimore Ravens, it's suddenly out of Green Bay's control.
But LaFleur put it best a week ago: Nobody feels sorry for the Packers.
Will Love play next week? Nobody knows. Jacobs? Tom? Williams? Doubs? That remains to be seen. It doesn't matter. LaFleur must find a way to rally from the agony of defeat and fuel a two-game winning run to make the playoffs as arguably the most battle-hardened team in football.