On Sunday afternoon, it looked as if the Chicago Bears were in position to break their 10 game losing streak against their rival, the Green Bay Packers. Until they weren’t. Instead of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, they did the opposite in the most Bears fashion possible.
The Bears offense put their kicker, Cairo Santos, in position to win the game. He is usually as reliable as they come from 40 yards and in. This kick was 46 yards. Surely the game was over.
Then, of course, Green Bay blocked the game-winning field goal attempt as time expired. All hell broke loose after that.
For those who aren’t aware, the local Chicago media after a Bears loss is the greatest entertainment bar none.
Blocked Field Goal Aftermath
After the game, reaction was widespread, from jubilation from Packer fans to shock and numbness on the part of Bears fans. Chicago is now 4-6 on the season.
Now, I live in a Bears household and I’m the only Packers fan in my family. We’ve had a long-standing bet for over a decade now – which as you can imagine, has been pretty one-sided.
So here’s mom in the Packer gear. Even better is her response to the Bears choking away yet another game: “It was like being on the stars, because you just knew you would win. Then suddenly, you splatter all over the cement. Just unbelievable.”
You can feel the torment just reading her words!
But that’s not all the reaction from Bears fans.
My cousin Prentyce, who is a diehard Bears fan had this to say: “I wasn’t surprised about the blocked field goal. I’m so used to the disappointment of this team to where I’m immune to it. I’m no longer phased by the losses. However, I was a little upset finding out that the Packers were expecting them to run another play and that they knew they were going to get a block because they watched film on (Cairo) Santos and noticed that he kicks low on 45+ yard field goals.”
Zeke Garcia had this opinion: “It’s heartbreaking but truthfully it’s not surprising the Bears find a way to lose games just off of settling for things. I was genuinely upset right before the play because why do you let 30 seconds run off with a QB on FIRE driving on the opposition??? No PRIDE. Eberflus plays scared and doesn’t know his personnel.”
Of course this is just a small sampling, but I practically needed to get a dingy because the tears were overflowing the banks of Lake Michigan.
On ESPN 1000’s morning show Kap and J-Hood, Bears coach Matt Eberflus defended his decision to not run another play. “I felt really good about where we were and how we operated and I had all the confidence in the world in our kicker.”
Of course the Bears wouldn’t take responsibility for biffing it.
Reaction from Packers fans and Coach Matt Lafluer
From Packers fans’ perspective, things could not have ended better. My friend Miranda said: “You always reach for desperation and hope your team can block a kick. But I hadn’t ever remembered witnessing one in my lifetime. Not one to seal a win anyways…”
My friend Emily offered this reaction: “I was sitting having a solo lunch at my favorite local spot, enjoying a Cobb salad and suddenly lost my appetite when I saw the Bears’ final drive into field goal territory. I placed my head in my hands and covered my eyes when they lined up, like I was watching a horror movie. Then, the block! I squealed out loud and cheered like crazy! I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed! The odds of the Packers pulling off a blocked kick, to me, were slim to literally none, so I’m truly impressed that Karl Brooks rose up to save the day!”
Packers coach Matt Lafleur was more than fired up in the locker room postgame. Check it out:
It was certainly a win for Green Bay to remember as they are 7-3 and very much in playoff contention.
Green Bay’s dominance over Chicago continues as Sunday marked 11 straight wins for the oldest rivalry in the NFL. These two franchises meet again in week 18 in January at legendary Lambeau Field.
In the meantime, enjoy this classic from Packer Nation:
