Packers Are ‘Sick’ After Their Winning Streak Vs. Chicago Ends

Kenny Clark.

And Kenny Clark alone.

There was just one active member of the Green Bay Packers who had ever lost to Chicago Bears prior to Sunday. That was Clark — a ninth-year defensive tackle.

By the end of the day, that number had grown to 52.

The Bears came to Lambeau Field and stunned Green Bay, 24-22, snapping the Packers’ 11-game winning streak in this series. That had been the longest streak by either side in this sensational 104-year rivalry.

The Packers’ last loss to Chicago came on Dec. 16, 2018. And Green Bay entered this game as a 10-point favorite.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos drilled a 51-yard field goal as time expired, though, lifting Chicago to a win that ended Green Bay’s dominance in this series.

“Not being able to do that for us, let alone everyone (expletive) else really sucks,” Packers guard Sean Rhyan said. “And for us, it’s like, just sick. Sick. Losing to these (expletive) guys right before the playoffs, it’s a kick in the gut. We’ve got to flush it. That’s all we can do.”

The Packers were 51-15 against Chicago since Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre arrived in Green Bay in 1992. The Packers’ dominance in the last 30-plus years helped them take a 108-95-6 lead (including playoffs) in a series that had been largely controlled by the Bears the first 70 years.

Former coach Mike Holmgren started the fun by going 12-2 against the Bears between 1992-1998 — a whopping .857 winning percentage. Holmgren also won his final 10 games against Chicago.

Ray Rhodes was 1-1 (.500), Mike Sherman was 8-4 (.667), then Mike McCarthy was a sensational 19-7 (.731) that included a win over the Bears in the 2010 NFC Championship Game.

Joe Philbin was 0-1 as Green Bay’s interim head coach in 2018, then current coach Matt LaFleur took things to a new level by carrying an 11-0 record vs. Chicago into Sunday’s game.

That remarkable 11-game winning streak came to an end, though, a little more than six years after Chicago’s last win against Green Bay.

“We were trying to hang a lot of points on ’em, we were trying to get our 12^th win as a team and then get our 12^th win (in a row) in the rivalry and keep the streak going,” tight end Tucker Kraft said.

That didn’t happen, though, thanks to special teams that were largely inept, critical turnovers from the offense and a defense that melted down late.

LaFleur also badly mismanaged the clock in the final minute, leaving Chicago enough time to drive for a game-winning field goal.

“It was, I would say, kind of a sloppy game all in all,” LaFleur said. “Had far too many miscues. We knew going into the game that you better win the ball, and we had the two turnovers. One of them certainly led to points. And then at the end of the game, that’s squarely on me. Like I told the team, that’s on me, that can’t happen.

“So we’ve got to wipe this as soon as possible. It’s a new season now. Obviously very disappointed right now.”

Green Bay, the No. 7 seed in the NFC, now heads to second-seeded Philadelphia for a wild card game. The day and time have yet to be announced.

The Packers will try turning the page from their surprising loss to Chicago — but admittedly, that won’t be easy.

“It’s just a bitter (expletive) taste in that’s how it ended,” Rhyan said. “But if anything, coming off two losses, that just burns that fire under us even hotter. That’s what it is. The hungriest dog is going to fight the longest and that’s what it is.”