Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears: Someone Do the Heimlich on the Green and Gold!

It was a cold day in Hell.

The Packers were in a frigid Soldier Field for a rematch against the team they beat 37-3. The last win the Packers earned, as a matter of fact.

Let's hope it's not the last one they ever earn. No one wants to be a footnote in history as the only team to lose to the Detroit Lions. No team, no matter how decimated by injury, wants to go from 13-3 to 5-11; 6-10 is bad enough.

For three-plus quarters, the Packers dominated our rivals, holding a 267-113 edge in yards more than two minutes into the fourth quarter. But we managed only a 17-10 lead. Then the typical fourth quarter Packers showed up.

Game, how do I choke thee? Let me count the ways:

1. Defense: They gave up 98 yards on the Bears next three possessions, excluding their one kneel-down. Once again, most of it was on the ground: 52 yards on eight carries to Matt Forte, including a fourth-and-one that would have sealed the game.
2. Coaching: On that fourth-and-one, the measurement showed he made it by an inch, yet there was no challenge of the spot, which even had it failed, may have give the obviously tired Packers defense a chance to rest up. Moreover, Mike McCarthy's play-calling was extremely conservative (outside of going for it once on fourth down) in the second half, including a quarterback draw everyone saw coming.
3. Special Teams: Aaron Rodgers led the Packers on a 45-yard drive over almost three minutes at the end of the game to put us into position for a game-winning, 38-yard field goal. It was blocked.

Those are the same three elements that have failed us week-in and week-out since the last meeting with the Bears, when everything was clicking on all cylinders. If you want to know why the Packers are 1-7 in games decided by less than a touchdown, look no further than those three components.

Occasionally, the offense has joined the party, and one could say it was unimpressive Monday, with only 325 yards and 17 points. But to have 14 points in the first half in such weather is an achievement, and only the handcuffs Mac put on the play-calling stalled the offense.

Rodgers finished the game 24-of-39 (.615) for 260 yards and two touchdowns to just one interception, on a pass batted by a blitzer. He is now over 50 passes in the red zone without an interception, tops in the league.

In the cold, you are supposed to rely on your running game, but the Packers managed just 65 yards on 29 carries (2.2 average). Then again, they were facing the seventh-ranked run defense, and rushing is not exactly the forte of this cold-weather team. Does this need to be addressed in the off-season?

One thing is for sure: Green Bay must win on Sunday, or there should be a lot of heads rolling.