GREEN BAY, Wis. (670 The Score) -- The Bears were swept by the Packers once again this season, dropping their second matchup 45-30 on Sunday night at Lambeau Field. Here are the observations from Green Bay.
What fun?
Bears coach Matt Nagy enjoyed every bit of the first half Sunday, with his team going into the locker room with a 27-21 lead.
"Fun. Fun. It was. It was fun," Nagy said. "That first half, when you coach and you play and you play that first half the way we did, that's what it's all about. That's why we do what we do. Let's face it, there's been difficult times this year for everybody -- for the players, for the coaches.
"Our message at halftime was, 'That's great, but we got to do it for quarters three and four. We got to finish.'"
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Instead, the Bears unraveled in the second half, when they were outscored 24-3 by the Packers. That wasn't fun at all, and the problems started with Nagy.
The Bears didn't play or coach to win in the second half. It started with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers opening the third quarter with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in which they never faced a third down. Suddenly, the Bears' lead had vanquished and they lost their focus.
At that point, the Bears had to know they were going to lose. For the embattled Nagy from there, it seemed like it was just about keeping the score close – he recognizes his fate that looms in Chicago and appeared to be saving face.
It's why Nagy instructed the Bears to punt on a fourth-and-1 from their own 36-yard line while trailing 38-27 early in the fourth quarter. There was 13:31 on the clock and rather than being aggressive and fighting to stay in the game, Nagy punted on the Bears' best chance to win. The punt turned into a bizarre sequence in which the Bears recovered a muffed punt by the Packers, only to have it overturned by a penalty as Chicago defensive back Kindle Vildor stepped out of bounds in coverage.
None of that matters. The point is that down 11 points in the fourth quarter, Nagy gave the ball back to Rodgers and the Packers. They drove 13 plays and 71 yards, grinding the clock to down to 4:33 and ending whatever chance the Bears had to win.
Fittingly, the Bears kicked a 43-yard field goal with 1:22 remaining in a meaningless move to save face.
Nagy spoke of the Bears' desire to pull off the upset and what the game meant to his team. Then he coached not to lose rather than fighting to win.
Teven's debut
Early last week, Bears offensive line coach Juan Castillo candidly stated that rookie tackle Teven Jenkins wasn't ready to play yet.
"Right now, we're trying to work him and get him ready," Castillo said then. "In an emergency thing, if something happened to Jason (Peters), right now he would be the one to come in. We're trying to catch him up. I mean, he hasn't done a lot of football. We're working hard, trying to get him ready in case something like that happens."
Peters exited with an ankle injury during the first quarter Sunday, and the Jenkins stepped in for his first NFL reps at left tackle. Jenkins was flagged four times – twice for holding calls, twice for false starts – and allowed a pair of sacks to Packers pass rusher Preston Smith.
Jenkins is a raw prospect, and he struggled with lower body movements and was slow to align himself correctly to contain Smith's pursuits. He wasn't aggressive in getting positioned, something Castillo alluded to when previously deeming Jenkins not ready.
"That's the part that we're working on really hard right now -- is just coming off the ball, getting off the ball and getting to that spot as quick as you can," Castillo said.
The Bears need to continue to give Jenkins the opportunity to develop in their final four games. Every rep he can gain late in the season will prove meaningful as he gets up to speed.
Jaylon vs. Davante
It's admirable how Bears second-year cornerback Jaylon Johnson is his own harshest critic, and he seemed disappointed personally in what happened against Packers star receiver Davante Adams, who had 10 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
Adams' big game wasn't a reflection of Johnson by any means. Adams was held in check during the first half as Johnson held strong in their matchup. Adams had two receptions for 19 yards and a score while Johnson was his nearest defender, according to NFL NextGen Stats.
Then the Packers adjusted by moving Adams into the slot often and creating matchups against Bears defenders who were overmatched. When Johnson wasn't the nearest defender, Adams had eight catches on eight targets while adding 102 yards and a touchdown.
Adams created just 1.6 yards of separation against Johnson compared to 3.5 yards against all other defenders.
Extra points
-- The Bears know all too well how tough rookie quarterback Justin Fields is. He was sacked twice and hit nine times in his first game back from a ribs fracture and also suffered a left hand contusion in the loss. It's on the coaching staff to help protect him better with scheme adjustments.
-- The Bears' defense played without edge rusher Khalil Mack, defensve lineman Akiem Hicks and linebacker Danny Trevathan, among others. They started edge rusher Bruce Irvin, cornerback Artie Burns and cornerback Xavier Crawford. The Bears may have expected to win, but that's no way to beat Rodgers and the Packers.
-- A few elements of the Chiefs' offense that Nagy previously worked in were called and executed well Sunday. The Bears got speedsters in space, first with the 46-yard jet sweep catch-and-run touchdown to Jakeem Grant and then the 54-yard strike to Damiere Byrd. Where has that been?
-- Bears running back David Montgomery rushed just once in the second half despite Chicago holding the halftime lead. Why?
-- Don't discount the loss of Peters, who had been the Bears' best offensive lineman this season. It makes the challenge of protecting Fields even greater.
-- A fun note from the NFL Media research department: The second quarter marked the first time in NFL history that there were five touchdowns of 35 or more yards in a single quarter.
-- Rodgers still owns the Bears.
-- How are there still four games left in this season?
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
