It felt like a movie. Then, it felt like a nightmare. If you’re looking for the final score of the Green Bay Packers from their Wild Card showdown against the Chicago Bears, here is the cold, hard number: 31-27.
Chicago won. Green Bay went home.
But honestly, the score doesn't even begin to tell you how weird this game actually was. We are talking about an 18-point lead that just... evaporated. Poof. Jordan Love looked like an MVP for thirty minutes, and then the wheels didn't just come off; they basically exploded in the fourth quarter.
The final score of the Green Bay Packers and the collapse no one saw coming
The Packers walked into Soldier Field on January 10, 2026, and for a while, it looked like they owned the place. By halftime, it was 21-3. Jordan Love was slicing through the Bears' secondary like it was a preseason walkthrough. He found Christian Watson for a 7-yard score, then Jayden Reed for 18, and finally Romeo Doubs for a 1-yarder just before the break.
The stadium was quiet. Packer fans were already looking up flights for the Divisional round.
Then came the fourth quarter.
Chicago outscored Green Bay 25-6 in the final frame. You don't see that often in the playoffs. Caleb Williams, the rookie who has been the talk of the league, basically decided he wasn't losing his postseason debut. He led a 7-play, 66-yard drive capped by a D'Andre Swift touchdown to make it a game.
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Even then, the Packers had a chance to ice it.
That missed extra point was everything
When rookie Matthew Golden caught a 23-yard pass to put the Packers up 27-16, it felt like the momentum had swung back. But Brandon McManus missed the extra point. Wide left.
That single point meant the Bears only needed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to make it a three-point game. Which is exactly what happened. Williams hit Olamide Zaccheaus for a score, then found Colston Loveland for the two-point conversion. Suddenly, it was 27-24.
The pressure was suffocating.
Packers fans will probably be seeing McManus in their sleep for a while. After the Bears made it a three-point game, Green Bay drove all the way to the Chicago 21-yard line. A field goal there makes it a six-point lead. McManus missed again. 44 yards. Wide right.
Why the defense couldn't hold the lead
It’s easy to blame the kicker, but the defense disappeared when it mattered most.
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With 1:43 left on the clock, Caleb Williams pump-faked and found DJ Moore wide open. Not just "a little bit" open. Wide open. A 25-yard touchdown that gave Chicago its first lead since the first quarter.
The final sequence was pure chaos:
- Jordan Love gets the ball back with over a minute left.
- He drives the team into Chicago territory (the 28-yard line).
- Third down, time running out.
- Love drops the snap.
- He picks it up, scrambles, and heaves a "Hail Mary" style prayer into the end zone.
- Jaquan Brisker bats it down.
Game over.
A season of "what ifs" for Green Bay
The Packers finished the 2025-2026 regular season with a record of 9-7-1. That tie against the Cowboys back in September actually mattered quite a bit for seeding, but they still made the dance.
They had high-end talent. Micah Parsons, who the Packers landed in a blockbuster, was a first-team All-Pro. Xavier McKinney was a second-teamer. This wasn't a "rebuilding" team. It was a team that expected to be playing in February.
But the reality of the final score of the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs is that consistency killed them. You can't play one half of perfect football and then forget how to tackle in the second half. Matt LaFleur's post-game press conference was short. He looked exhausted. He talked about "belief" and "finishing," but the vibe was mostly just shell-shocked.
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Statistical breakdown of the heartbreak
If you look at the box score, it's even more frustrating. Jordan Love threw for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns. He didn't throw a single interception. Normally, when your QB does that, you win 99% of the time.
Romeo Doubs had a monster day with 124 yards on 8 catches.
On the other side, Caleb Williams threw two interceptions. The Packers' defense actually took the ball away twice! And they still lost. It was a failure of the "little things"—the missed extra point, the missed 44-yarder, the dropped snap on the final drive.
What happens now?
The Packers are heading into the 2026 offseason with a lot of questions. The 2026 opponents are already set. They’ll be facing the NFC South and the AFC East. That means games against the Bills, Dolphins, and a trip to face the Rams.
They finished second in the NFC North, behind these same Chicago Bears.
The focus will undoubtedly be on the special teams and the late-game defensive rotations. You can't have DJ Moore running free in the closing minutes of a playoff game. It just can't happen.
If you're a fan, the sting of that 31-27 score isn't going away anytime soon. It’s one of those games that defines a season—not because of how it started, but because of how it slipped away.
Actionable Next Steps for Packers Fans:
- Watch the All-22 tape: If you have NFL+, look at the final Chicago touchdown to see exactly where the communication broke down in the secondary.
- Track the Kicker Market: Brandon McManus is a veteran, but after two crucial misses in a four-point loss, expect the Packers to bring in heavy competition during OTAs.
- Monitor Zach Tom's Injury: The offensive tackle mentioned his injury didn't improve as hoped late in the season; his health is paramount for Jordan Love's protection in 2026.