Key matchup
Love and Watson vs. Chicago’s deep coverage
Watson’s 42- and 53-yard touchdown catches supplied 14 points; Golden’s 50-yard long reception helped stretch the field.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers•Sunday, October 11, 2026 • Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin•Posted by: Pfeff
Bears vs Packers
Green Bay defeated Chicago 31–7 at Lambeau Field, pairing Jordan Love’s 367 passing yards and two touchdown throws with a defense that forced five turnovers. The Bears stayed within 14–7 at halftime, but a late-third-quarter interception, Watson’s second explosive touchdown, and fourth-quarter takeaways helped turn the game into a lopsided finish.
Chicago Bears
7
3–2 · Final
Green Bay Packers
31
3–2 · Final
Coach Pfeff’s Game AnalysisWeek 5 · 2026
Explosive passes and five takeaways broke open the rivalry game
Green Bay won the high-value passing downs: Love threw for 367 gross yards, with touchdown passes of 42 and 53 yards to Watson. Watson finished with 143 receiving yards; Matthew Golden added 123. The official team total is 358 net passing yards after nine sack yards are deducted.
The defense repeatedly took the ball away: McKinney intercepted Bagent twice, and Hopper intercepted Keenum on fourth-and-goal. Wyatt and Franklin forced fumbles that were recovered by Williams and Dennis-Sutton. Chicago’s five giveaways became the game’s clearest efficiency gap; Green Bay had no turnovers charged as lost.
The margin could have been even larger, but special teams left points unused: Smack missed field goals from 43 and 47 yards and missed the extra point after Watson’s second touchdown. He made a 35-yard field goal and the other two kicking PATs. Green Bay finished with 31 points, including a successful two-point pass after Lloyd’s late rushing score.
Turning point
Watson’s 53-yard TD after OPI erased a score
A 43-yard Sturdivant touchdown was nullified by offensive pass interference at 13:26 of Q3; Watson scored on the next play at 13:19.
The finish
McKinney’s pick set up Lloyd’s Q4 TD
McKinney intercepted Bagent with 0:41 left in Q3. Green Bay opened the fourth quarter with Lloyd’s 4-yard TD run, then converted the two-point pass.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Read alongside the official box score: the game turned on explosive passing and the turnover margin.
Bears strengths
D’Andre Swift supplied Chicago’s lone touchdown and led the club with 43 rushing yards on nine carries; he added 30 receiving yards. Rookie returner Zavion Thomas averaged 32.0 yards on six kick returns, including a 61-yard long return.
Bears weaknesses
Chicago managed 246 net yards and 7 points, while losing five turnovers: three interceptions and two fumbles. The Bears rushed 24 times for 81 yards and converted 4 of 14 third downs. Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum combined for 23 completions on 40 attempts, 195 gross passing yards, and three interceptions.
Packers strengths
Jordan Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 gross yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 137.5 passer rating. Christian Watson caught six passes for 143 yards and both passing scores. Green Bay’s defense recorded three interceptions and recovered both Chicago fumbles.
Packers weaknesses
Green Bay gained 70 rushing yards on 26 attempts (2.7 yards per carry). Kicker Trey Smack made one of three field goals and two of three kicking extra points; Chicago kicker Cairo Santos missed a 43-yard field goal. Green Bay won comfortably, but the missed kicks left points unused.
NFL · User-provided game video
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers — Week 5, 2026
If the embedded player is unavailable, open the video on YouTube.
Key Play Highlights
Quarter and game-clock times checked against the NFL game book’s scoring summary and play-by-play.
Q1 · 5:51
Christian Watson — 42-yard touchdown catch
Love hit Watson for the game’s opening score after Green Bay drove 91 yards in 10 plays.
Q1 · 5:32
Xavier McKinney intercepts Tyson Bagent
Chicago’s second possession ended in an interception after an opening 5-play, 9-yard punt drive. Green Bay took over at the Chicago 45 and scored its second touchdown.
Q2 · 14:56
MarShawn Lloyd — 7-yard rushing touchdown
Green Bay converted the takeaway into a 45-yard scoring drive, extending its lead to two touchdowns.
Q2 · 1:53
D’Andre Swift — 1-yard rushing touchdown
Swift capped Chicago’s only scoring drive: 78 yards over 16 plays. The Bears went to halftime down 14–7.
Q3 · 13:26 / 13:19
Sturdivant’s 43-yard TD wiped out; Watson scores 53 yards next play
An offensive pass-interference flag nullified Sturdivant’s long catch-and-score; Love connected with Watson on the next snap. The kick failed, making it 20–7.
Q3 · 0:41
McKinney’s second interception of Bagent
The interception ended Chicago’s possession and set Green Bay up at its own 45. Lloyd scored on the Packers’ opening drive of Q4.
Q4 · 14:55
Lloyd — 4-yard rushing touchdown; successful 2-point pass
The short scoring drive turned the Q3 takeaway into an eight-point possession and pushed the lead to 31–7.
Q4 · 12:58
Ty’Ron Hopper intercepts Case Keenum on fourth-and-goal
Hopper ended Chicago’s red-zone opportunity; Green Bay took possession after the 20-yard return.
Q4 · 8:36 / 4:20
Wyatt and Dennis-Sutton force two late fumbles
Odunze lost the ball on fourth down; later Wyatt sacked Keenum and forced another fumble, recovered by Dennis-Sutton. The takeaways stopped two more Bears possessions.
Chicago Bears
Team leaders
Tyson Bagent / Case Keenum
23/40, 195 gross pass yards, 0 TD, 3 INT combined; Bagent went 12/21 for 87 yards (2 INT); Keenum went 11/19 for 108 yards (1 INT).
D’Andre Swift
43 rush yds · 1 TD
9 carries; 30 receiving yards
Zavion Thomas
192 kick-return yds
6 returns; 61-yard long
Austin Booker: 5 combined tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits, and 1 forced fumble.
Green Bay Packers
Team leaders
Jordan Love
25/31, 367 pass yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 137.5 rating; team net passing yards were 358 after sack yardage.
Christian Watson
143 rec yds · 2 TD
6 catches; long 53
Matthew Golden
123 rec yds
6 catches; long 50
Defensive leaders: Xavier McKinney had 2 INT; Devonte Wyatt had 2 sacks and a forced fumble; Dani Dennis-Sutton had 1 sack, 2 TFL, and a fumble recovery.
Game Stats
Final figures from the NFL game book. Passing rows separate gross player/team passing totals from net team passing yards after sack losses.
Advantage:Chicago BearsGreen Bay PackersMixed rows are left uncolored.
| Category | Chicago Bears | Green Bay Packers |
|---|---|---|
| Score by quarter | 0 • 7 • 0 • 0 7 | 7 • 7 • 9 • 8 31 |
| Total first downs | 17 | 18 |
| Total net yards | 246 | 428 |
| Rushing | 24–81 • 3.4 avg | 26–70 • 2.7 avg |
| Passing | 23/40 • 195 gross 165 net • 0 TD • 3 INT | 25/31 • 367 gross 358 net • 2 TD • 0 INT |
| Third down | 4/14 • 28.6% | 4/12 • 33.3% |
| Fourth down | 2/5 • 40.0% | 1/1 • 100% |
| Turnovers | 5 (3 INT, 2 fumbles lost) | 0 lost (3 INTs, 2 fumbles recovered) |
| Penalties | 3–20 yds | 4–25 yds |
| Time of possession | 29:36 | 30:24 |
| Red zone | 1/2 • 50% | 2/3 • 66.7% |
| Field goals / PATs | Cairo Santos: FG 0/1 (missed 43); PAT 1/1 | Trey Smack: FG 1/3 (made 35; missed 43, 47); kicking PAT 2/3; 2-pt pass 1/1 |
| Punting | 4 • 53.0 avg 46.3 net avg | 4 • 55.3 avg 48.0 net avg |
| Returns | Punt: 1–9; kick: 6–192 (32.0 avg, long 61) | Punt: 2–27 (13.5 avg); kick: 2–48 (24.0 avg) |
| Defensive leaders | Austin Booker: 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 1 FF; Dillon Thieneman: 7 tackles | Xavier McKinney: 2 INT; Ty’Ron Hopper: 1 INT; Devonte Wyatt: 2 sacks, 1 FF; Dani Dennis-Sutton: 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 FR |
Scoring summary
- Q1: Watson 42-yard TD reception (5:51). Green Bay 7–0.
- Q2: Lloyd 7-yard run (14:56); Swift 1-yard run (1:53). Green Bay 14–7 at half.
- Q3: Watson 53-yard TD (13:10; kick failed); Smack 35-yard FG (1:58). Green Bay 23–7.
- Q4: Lloyd 4-yard TD run and Love-to-Golden two-point pass (14:55). Final: Green Bay 31–7.
Game-defining plays
McKinney’s two interceptions of Bagent and Hopper’s fourth-down interception of Keenum were part of five Green Bay takeaways. The two Chicago fumbles were recovered by Evan Williams and Dani Dennis-Sutton.
Lambeau Field attendance: 77,755. NFL game book lists sunny conditions, 73°F, and south wind at 13 mph. Official game duration: 3:04.
Source: NFL official game book (PDF). The game book records Packers net passing yards as 358; Jordan Love’s gross passing total is 367.
Coach Pfeff’s Game Notes
All 15 handwritten observations are included. Each “Actual impact” separates the game fact from the coach’s interpretation.
“The offensive line held up better; the guards especially created a clean interior.”
Actual impact: Green Bay gave up two sacks for nine yards, while Love completed 25 of 31 for 367 gross yards and two TDs. The passing result supports the protection impression; the run game was less effective at 70 yards on 26 carries (2.7 per attempt).
“Watson had so much space on the deep TD catch—he ran past everyone.”
Actual impact: Watson scored on 42- and 53-yard receptions and finished with 143 yards on six catches. Those two plays produced 14 points and forced Chicago to defend the full depth of the field.
“The Bears’ opening series stalled; McKinney picked Bagent on Chicago’s next possession.”
Actual impact: Chicago’s first drive gained nine yards in five plays and ended in a punt. McKinney intercepted Bagent on the second Bears series; Green Bay took over at the Chicago 45 and scored its second TD on that possession.
“MarShawn Lloyd looked good running behind the newly improved line.”
Actual impact: Lloyd had 31 yards on 10 carries (3.1 average) and scored on 7- and 4-yard runs. The late Q4 touchdown, followed by a successful two-point pass, made it 31–7; the low overall rushing average keeps the line assessment mixed.
“D’Andre Swift was running well and had been the whole offense in the first half.”
Actual impact: Swift finished with 43 rushing yards on nine carries, 30 receiving yards, and Chicago’s only touchdown. The Bears scored no other points, so his production accounted for their only trip to the end zone.
“Horrible missed DPI on Watson; terrible OPI on the very next play.”
Actual impact: The missed pass-interference judgment is Coach Pfeff’s view, not a box-score statistic. The official play-by-play does confirm that a 43-yard Sturdivant touchdown was nullified by OPI at 13:26 of Q3; Watson scored a 53-yard TD on the next snap at 13:19.
“Amazing catch by Watson for his second TD on the deep ball.”
Actual impact: The 53-yard Q3 touchdown was Watson’s second score of the game and increased the lead to 20–7. Smack missed the extra point, so the drive produced six points rather than seven.
“Trey Smack cannot be missing PATs, especially in close games.”
Actual impact: Smack missed the extra point after Watson’s second TD. The final was not close, but that miss left the score at 20–7 rather than 21–7; Green Bay later added a successful two-point conversion after Lloyd’s TD.
“Good to see Tucker Kraft getting the body drops figured out.”
Actual impact: Kraft caught all five of his targets for 64 yards (12.8 per catch). Those completions added reliable intermediate production alongside Watson and Golden’s explosive gains.
“The front seven on defense dictated Chicago’s offensive scheme.”
Actual impact: Green Bay held the Bears to 81 rushing yards on 24 attempts and registered four sacks for 30 yards of loss. Chicago converted only 4 of 14 third downs and finished with 246 net yards.
“Xavier McKinney is a straight ball hawk with two great picks.”
Actual impact: McKinney intercepted Bagent twice. His first takeaway gave Green Bay a short field before the Packers’ second touchdown; his Q3 interception set up the 4-yard Lloyd TD that opened the fourth quarter.
“Safeties have no chance against repeated deep balls.”
Actual impact: Green Bay’s explosive passing put pressure on Chicago’s deep coverage: Watson caught TDs of 42 and 53 yards, while Golden’s longest catch covered 50. The box score does not assign those plays to a specific safety or coverage error.
“Two rushing TDs for Lloyd are key to closing games; the offensive line wins.”
Actual impact: Lloyd’s two short rushing scores were real red-zone finishes, and the late one helped seal the 31–7 result. He had 31 yards on 10 carries, so the TD conversions—not a dominant rushing average—were the decisive contribution.
“Two missed field goals and a missed PAT are inexcusable in one game.”
Actual impact: The NFL game book credits Smack with misses from 43 and 47 yards plus one missed PAT; he made a 35-yard FG. Bears kicker Cairo Santos also missed from 43 yards. Those misses left seven potential kicking points off the board for the Packers and three for Chicago; Green Bay still won by 24.
“Dennis-Sutton had a ton of disruptive plays on defense.”
Actual impact: Dani Dennis-Sutton recorded three tackles, one sack for 11 yards, two tackles for loss, two QB hits, one pass defense, and recovered Keenum’s fumble after Wyatt’s Q4 sack. The recovery ended a Bears possession and added to the five-takeaway total.