What's the score on the packers game? The Heartbreaking Playoff Exit Explained

What's the score on the packers game? The Heartbreaking Playoff Exit Explained

The question of what's the score on the packers game has been haunting Green Bay fans for the better part of a week now. If you’re checking the ticker today, Saturday, January 17, 2026, looking for a live score, I’ve got some tough news for you. There is no live score. The Packers aren’t playing today.

Last Saturday, January 10, the Green Bay Packers saw their season come to a screeching, painful halt at Soldier Field. They lost to the Chicago Bears, 31-27. It was a Wild Card matchup that felt like a sure win for the first thirty minutes before the wheels fell off in a way that’ll probably be studied in "what not to do" coaching clinics for years.

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The Final Score: Packers 27, Bears 31

Honestly, it’s hard to wrap your head around how this one slipped away. At halftime, the score was 21-3 in favor of Green Bay. Jordan Love looked like a surgeon. He was hitting Christian Watson and Jayden Reed with absolute precision, and the Bears' defense looked like they had already checked out for the offseason.

Then the fourth quarter happened.

Chicago outscored Green Bay 25-6 in the final period. That’s not a typo. Twenty-five points in fifteen minutes. Caleb Williams, the Bears' young signal-caller, found another gear, and the Packers' secondary basically evaporated. The go-ahead score was a 25-yard touchdown pass from Williams to DJ Moore with just 1:43 left on the clock.

Green Bay actually had a chance to answer. They drove down to the Chicago 23-yard line. Thirteen seconds left. But a false start penalty on Rasheed Walker pushed them back, and Jordan Love’s final desperation heave fell incomplete as time expired.

Why what's the score on the packers game matters right now

People are still searching for the score today because today is the start of the Divisional Round. While the Bears are moving on to face the Los Angeles Rams, the Packers are heading into an offseason filled with "what if" scenarios.

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The stat sheet from that final game is a weird mix of dominance and failure:

  • Jordan Love: 24-of-46 for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns.
  • Romeo Doubs: 8 catches for 124 yards and a score.
  • The Problem: Brandon McManus missed a 44-yard field goal and an extra point. In a four-point loss, those four points are glaring.
  • The Run Game: Josh Jacobs had 55 yards, but almost all of that was in the first half. He was a non-factor when the Packers needed to bleed the clock.

What happened to the defense?

Jeff Hafley’s defense had been the story of the late-season surge. They were aggressive. They were opportunistic. But in the second half at Soldier Field, they couldn't get off the field. Chicago converted three different third-and-longs during their comeback.

The most brutal part for Packers fans? This was the third time this season Green Bay lost to Chicago on the final play of the game. That’s a stat that’ll keep Matt LaFleur up at night. The rivalry has officially swung back toward the Midway, and it’s a bitter pill to swallow for a team that had dominated the series for nearly a decade.

Looking ahead to the 2026 Season

Since the answer to what's the score on the packers game is effectively "season over," the focus shifts to the future. The Packers finished the 2025-2026 campaign with a 9-8-1 record. It was a rollercoaster year that saw them clinch a playoff spot as the No. 7 seed, only to blow an 18-point halftime lead in the first round.

Next year's schedule is already locked in. The Packers are set to face every team in the NFC South and the AFC East. They'll have home games against the Vikings, Lions, Bears, Falcons, Panthers, Bills, Dolphins, Cowboys, and Texans.

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The road won't be any easier. They have to travel to face the Jets, Patriots, and the Rams. If there’s one thing this playoff loss proved, it’s that this team is incredibly talented but lacks the "killer instinct" needed to close out games when the pressure is at its peak.

Actionable steps for Packers fans

If you're still feeling the sting of that 31-27 loss, here is what you should keep an eye on over the next few weeks:

  1. Monitor the Kicking Situation: Brandon McManus’s performance in the Wild Card game likely means the Packers will be looking for a new leg in the draft or free agency.
  2. Watch the Divisional Round: Keep an eye on the Bears vs. Rams game today. Seeing how Chicago handles the Rams' offense will tell you a lot about whether the Packers' collapse was a fluke or a sign of a massive defensive scheme flaw.
  3. Draft Prep: Green Bay will likely pick in the middle of the first round. With the secondary struggling late in the season, expect a heavy focus on cornerbacks or a disruptive interior defensive lineman.

The 2025 season is in the books. It ended in heartbreak, but the foundation is there. Now, the front office just has to figure out how to keep a 21-3 lead from turning into a 31-27 nightmare.