Bears fall 31-7 at Packers as turnovers, stalled run game doom offense
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Chicago Bears surrendered touchdowns on the Green Bay Packers’ first two possessions and could not recover in a 31-7 loss at Lambeau Field on Oct. 11, 2026, a game recap on the Bears’ website by Larry Mayer said. The early turnovers and short fields set the tone. The defeat dropped the Bears to 3-2.
Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards, two touchdowns and a 137.5 passer rating. The Packers used big plays to pile up yardage while the Bears managed only 246 total yards and 17 first downs after averaging 433.5 yards and 29 first downs in their previous two wins. Chicago was held to 81 rushing yards, 115 yards below their league-leading average entering the game. The Bears also lost the turnover battle, 5-0.
Green Bay took a 7-0 lead on its opening possession when Love hit Christian Watson for a 42-yard touchdown on a 10-play, 91-yard drive. On the Bears’ second play from scrimmage, safety Javon Bullard deflected a Tyson Bagent pass intended for Luther Burden III, and safety Xavier McKinney intercepted it at the Chicago 45. The short field allowed MarShawn Lloyd to score on a 6-yard run, and Green Bay led 14-0. The rushing touchdown was Green Bay’s first of the season.
The Bears answered late in the second quarter when D’Andre Swift capped a 16-play, 78-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal, cutting the deficit to 14-7. The drive consumed 9:10 and featured four third-down conversions. Green Bay then took over at the Chicago 49 with 39 seconds left, but Austin Booker sacked Love on consecutive plays to stall the threat. Booker’s tackles helped keep the Packers off the scoreboard before halftime.
Early in the second half, officials flagged J. Michael Sturdivant for pass interference, negating what had appeared to be a 43-yard touchdown. On the next play, Love heaved a 53-yard touchdown pass to Christian Watson on third-and-22, though Trey Smack missed the extra point and the Packers led 20-7. Later in the third quarter, Love connected with Tucker Kraft on a 46-yard pass to the Chicago 16, and Smack converted a 35-yard field goal. Those plays extended Green Bay’s cushion heading into the fourth quarter.
McKinney’s second interception set up MarShawn Lloyd’s 4-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Receiver Matthew Golden had gains of 36 and 15 yards on the drive and caught the two-point conversion pass to make it 31-7. At that point coach Ben Johnson replaced Tyson Bagent with Case Keenum in search of a spark. Bagent finished 12 of 21 for 87 yards.
After Zavion Thomas returned the kickoff 61 yards to the Green Bay 31, Keenum completed consecutive passes of 23 and 5 yards to Luther Burden III. On fourth-and-goal from the 10, Lukas Van Ness pressured Keenum and linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper intercepted the throw at the goal line. Green Bay had opportunities to add to the lead, but Smack missed field-goal attempts of 43 and 47 yards in the fourth quarter. The loss snapped Chicago’s two-game winning streak and dropped the Bears to 3-2; they will visit the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.
NFL Sports Blog Take
The Bears’ defeat at Lambeau sharpened two clear issues that cost them the game: turnover margin and the inability to run the ball. Chicago gave the Packers short fields through multiple interceptions and finished with only 81 rushing yards, well below their season average, which limited the offense’s ability to sustain drives. Jordan Love’s efficiency and his ability to stretch the field with Watson exposed the Bears’ coverage on several long gains, while the late quarterback change highlighted a search for a spark that did not materialize. To return to the form of their previous two wins, the Bears must secure the football, re-establish the run and tighten coverage on deep throws when they face the Falcons next week.