The Green Bay Packers were confident they wouldn't lose to the Bears, even as Chicago lined up for a potential game-winning 46-yard field goal.
"We were going to block it," said defensive lineman Kenny Clark, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
This wasn't just talk. Special teams coach Rich Bisaccia had noticed a vulnerability in the Bears' field-goal protection, with an unsteady guard position and kicker Cairo Santos’s low-trajectory kicks.
"Rich told our team last night, 'I won’t understand if we leave this game without a block,'" said head coach Matt LaFleur. "Whether it’s a field goal or [point-after attempt]."
The Packers blocked the decisive kick, sealing a 20-19 victory.
After Jordan Love’s touchdown gave Green Bay a one-point lead, Chicago advanced downfield, draining the clock for a mid-range field goal attempt.
At the snap, lineman T.J. Slaton overpowered Bears guard Larry Borom, creating enough space for Karl Brooks to slip through, raise his left hand, and graze the ball with the tip of his middle finger, deflecting it to the Soldier Field turf for a Packers win.
"It was an incredible feeling," Brooks said. "At first, when I felt it, I wasn’t sure I got enough, but then it fell short. That’s when I really celebrated. It was fun, it was cool, it was a great experience."
In the aftermath, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus faced criticism for not trying to gain more yards with time remaining.
"They were stacking the box," Eberflus said. "You could say, 'Maybe gain a couple more yards,' but there’s also the risk of a fumble. We felt good where we were, near the 36 or 35-yard line, especially with the wind and field position."
Perhaps a few extra yards might have helped with Santos's trajectory. Or maybe the outcome was inevitable, securing Green Bay’s 11th straight victory over Chicago.
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