CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- After taking a knee out of the victory formation, Packers star Aaron Rodgers sought out Bears rookie Justin Fields for a handshake and a few words before the two quarterbacks went their separate ways.
"Enjoy this rivalry," Fields recalled Rodgers saying. "And just keep working and keep getting better."
That's all Fields and the Bears can do after losing 24-14 to the Packers on Sunday at Soldier Field. Once again, the Bears were left looking up at their rivals as the standard that they strive to reach.
Rodgers finished off the Bears himself late in the fourth quarter with a six-yard touchdown run into the southwest corner of Soldier Field, then added salt to Chicago's 30-year wound with Green Bay by yelling into the crowd: "I own you. I still own you."
Now 22-5 in his career against the Bears (including the playoffs), Rodgers certainly has owned this rivalry. Fields hopes to change the recent trend during the course of his career, but the Bears aren't ready to compete with the NFC North's gold standard just yet.
The Bears have promise with the 22-year-old Fields leading the way, some talent around him and – at long last – a budding offensive identity. That just isn't enough to beat Rodgers and the Packers. The Bears still lack the consistency to be better than average. They still beat themselves with self-inflicted mistakes or can't do enough to overcome tough circumstances. As evidence, there were three plays in particular Sunday that swung a game that was there for the Bears' taking.
1) First quarter, 1:23 remaining: Bears 7, Packers 0 – Chicago had a third-and-7 at Green Bay's 47-yard line
It seemed that Fields had done what smart quarterbacks can do – and what Rodgers has thrived in doing in his 17-year career- – by drawing Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark offsides.
Believing it was a free play, Fields threw deep to the back of the end zone with hopes of finding receiver Allen Robinson or drawing a pass interference call. He assumed a flag was on the field, but that wasn't the case. Packers safety Darnell Savage Jr. tracked down the errant pass for an interception.
"We looked back, and it wasn't a flag," receiver Darnell Mooney said. "I feel like that's where our momentum had left us."
It sure did, with the Packers driving 12 plays and 80 yards for a touchdown on the ensuing possession to even the game at 7-7.
2. Second quarter, 25 seconds remaining: Packers 10, Bears 7 – Chicago had a third-and-8 at Green Bay's 33-yard line
Fields had just taken a brutal hit to the head that drew a personal foul flag on the Packers – but it was offset by a Bears penalty, with holding called on right guard James Daniels. So the Bears had to replay a key situation as they sought to tie or take the lead before halftime.
Fields saw the play clock was ticking down, but he was unsure why it had started without warning. He attempted to call a timeout, but it wasn't granted. The Bears were penalized five yards for delay of game. On third-and-13 from the Packers' 38-yard line, left guard Cody Whitehair was blown up on defensive lineman Dean Lowry's bull rush. Fields went down for a 10-yard loss on the sack, which took Chicago out of field-goal range.
"You want to at worst-case scenario come out of that thing 10-10 at half," Bears coach Nagy said.
3. Fourth quarter, 7:15 remaining: Packers 17, Bears 14 – Green Bay had 2nd-and-10 from its own 38-yard line
It seems every time Rodgers plays the Bears, he has a play like this one – sealing a victory by finding a lapse in coverage.
The Bears needed a stop to give themselves a chance late in the game. But Packers star receiver Davante Adams found a seam in the secondary, where it appeared Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson was attempting to pass off his man to safety Eddie Jackson. Rodgers found Adams, and it went for a 41-yard gain to the Bears' 21-yard line. Three plays later, Rodgers ran in for the score and let Chicago know who dominates this rivalry.
"I looked up in the stands, in the front row, and what I saw was a woman giving me the double birds," Rodgers told reporters. "I'm not sure exactly what came out of my mouth next ... sometimes you black out on the field."
On the long pass to Adams, either Johnson was early to pass off Adams or Jackson was late covering over the top. Johnson's media session was cut off by the Bears before reporters could seek clarity on the play, while Jackson wasn't made available for comment.
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During his two seasons at Ohio State, Fields was on the winning side of the program's longstanding rivalry against Michigan. He led the Buckeyes to a pair of victories against the Wolverines to help extend a run that includes 15 victories in the last 16 games for Ohio State.
Fields understands what the Bears are up against annually in the Packers, who have won six of the seven games between the teams since Nagy took over in 2018. For Fields, the goal is to change the course of the rivalry.
The Bears aren't good enough yet, as their inconsistencies proved Sunday. They had such little margin for error against the Packers, who look like a Super Bowl contender once again. A few key plays were once again enough to swing a game to the better team.
Like Rodgers, Fields hopes to have his say in the fierce rivalry. For now, all he and the Bears can do is keep striving.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
