If you turned off the television at halftime, you probably thought the Green Bay Packers had finally exorcised their demons. You weren't alone. Leading 21-3 in the freezing wind of Soldier Field, the vibe felt like a classic Green Bay clinic. But by the time the final whistle blew on Saturday, January 10, 2026, the football score green bay fans saw on the crawl was a gut-punching 31-27 loss.
It was a Wild Card collapse for the ages.
Honestly, the way this one slipped away is going to haunt Matt LaFleur all offseason. The Packers didn't just lose; they evaporated. They held an 18-point lead in the second half and a 27-16 lead with less than seven minutes to go. Then, Caleb Williams—who had looked human for most of the night—suddenly turned into a magician.
Breaking Down the Numbers
The final stats tell a story of two very different halves. Jordan Love actually had a monstrous night on paper, finishing 24-of-46 for 323 yards and four touchdowns. He didn't throw a single interception. Normally, when your QB puts up those numbers in January, you're planning a trip to the Divisional Round.
The defense just couldn't get off the field. Chicago's Caleb Williams ended up with 361 passing yards. Most of those came during a furious fourth-quarter rally where the Bears outscored the Packers 25-6.
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That Wild Card Football Score Green Bay Can't Escape
The turning point wasn't just one play. It was a slow-motion car crash. After rookie Matthew Golden—who's been a bright spot all season—scored a 23-yard touchdown to put Green Bay up 27-16, the wheels came off. Brandon McManus, who has been shaky lately, missed the extra point wide left.
That miss was huge. It kept it an 11-point game instead of 12.
Then came the special teams' nightmare. McManus didn't just miss an extra point; he also missed a 44-yard field goal with just over four minutes left. If he makes that, the game is basically over. Instead, the miss gave Chicago life. Williams marched the Bears 76 yards, found DJ Moore for a 25-yard score with 1:43 left, and just like that, the Packers were down.
Key Individual Performances
- Jordan Love: 323 yards, 4 TDs. He was surgical in the first half but couldn't find the rhythm when the Bears started blitzing late.
- Romeo Doubs: 8 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. He was Love's most reliable target all night.
- Matthew Golden: The rookie caught his first career postseason TD, a 23-yarder that should have been the dagger.
- Brandon McManus: 0-for-2 on field goals and a missed PAT. In a four-point loss, that is the definition of "the difference."
The Packers had one last shot. Love drove the offense down to the Chicago 23-yard line with 13 seconds left. The Green Bay faithful were holding their breath. Then, a false start penalty—the kind of mental error that defines a losing effort—pushed them back to the 28. Love's final prayer into the end zone fell incomplete as the clock hit zero.
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Why This Loss Feels Different
This wasn't just a regular-season loss. This was a "changing of the guard" moment in the NFC North. The Bears hadn't won a playoff game in 15 years. For them to do it by erasing an 18-point deficit against their biggest rival is a massive statement.
Matt LaFleur’s game management is under the microscope today, and rightfully so. Taking a delay of game penalty coming out of a timeout in the fourth quarter is the kind of mistake that gets coaches fired in some cities. He looked flustered. The offense, which was humming in the first half with touchdowns to Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Christian Watson, felt stagnant and scared in the final fifteen minutes.
Looking Ahead to 2026
So, where does Green Bay go from here? The season is over. The "Packers win" headlines are replaced with "offseason questions."
The roster is young, which is the silver lining everyone keeps talking about. But youth is also why they crumbled under the pressure of a Chicago crowd that smelled blood. They finished the regular season 9-7-1—that tie against Dallas in Week 4 ended up being a weirdly prophetic omen for a season that never quite felt stable.
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The front office has some serious work to do. The defense lost T.J. Slaton to what looked like a nasty injury, and the offensive line depth was exposed when Jacob Monk went down with a biceps issue in the first half.
Actionable Takeaways for the Offseason
If you're a fan trying to process this, here is the reality of the situation. The Packers are elite at drafting skill positions but struggling with finishing games. To get a better result next year, the team needs to address:
- The Kicking Situation: McManus likely won't be back after leaving seven points on the board in a playoff game.
- Red Zone Defense: The inability to stop Caleb Williams on 4th-and-goal situations was the quiet killer of the second half.
- Late-Game Play Calling: LaFleur needs to trust the run game more when protecting a lead. Josh Jacobs had moments but wasn't used effectively to milk the clock.
The final football score green bay fans are staring at today is 31-27. It's a score that signifies a missed opportunity and a long winter in Wisconsin. The talent is there, but the execution in the biggest moments is still missing.
Keep an eye on the upcoming NFL Draft. The Packers already know their 2026 opponents, including home games against Dallas and Houston. They’ll have to travel to face the Rams. The road back to the playoffs won't be any easier, especially with a resurgent Chicago team now sitting at the top of the division.
For now, the only thing to do is watch the rest of the playoffs from the couch and wonder "what if." What if McManus makes that kick? What if the defense holds for one more play? In the NFL, "what if" is the most painful game of all.