Stock Report: LaFleur’s Philosophy Fails as Packers Lose to Bears

The Green Bay Packers' goal was to win and get out of the game healthy. They did neither as their 11-game winning streak against the Chicago Bears is over.

Jan 5, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) leaves the field on a cart after getting injured against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter during their football game Sunday, January 5, 2025 at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin via Imagn Images

The Green Bay Packers took the field Sunday knowing their playoff fate was mostly sealed.

They were in. The question was just where they would be booking their flight.

Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears was a chance to play for pride, and get some live reps before the stakes rise next weekend.

Matt LaFleur appeared to take that approach, with some starters receiving a limited workload.

He appeared to adjust in the second half when Christian Watson and Jordan Love left the game with injuries.

Josh Jacobs did not play in the second half, for example.

The end of the regular season is here now and the rest of the NFL is going to reset.

The mission in Green Bay is simple.

Win four games in a row, they’re Super Bowl champions.

Anything less, they’ll be left to wonder what could have been.

Here’s our final stock report of the regular season with who has an arrow pointing upward going into the playoffs.

Rising

Kitan Oladapo

Kitan Oladapo was a surprise insertion to the starting lineup for today’s game.

When the Packers were in their base defense, Javon Bullard was the safety across from Xavier McKinney with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine at cornerback.

When the Packers went into nickel, Eric Stokes was on the sideline with Bullard going to the slot and Oladapo playing safety.

Oladapo has been a healthy scratch for the majority of his rookie season as it looked like a redshirt type of year for him.

Instead, he got the call in a game where the Packers played their defensive starters. This was a byproduct of injuries, but also part of the plan, which really means more for Eric Stokes.

More on him shortly.

Oladapo didn’t make any splash plays, but did not appear out of position, nor was he victimized in coverage by Chicago’s passing offense.

Xavier McKinney

Today’s game could have been one that McKinney was put on ice for, but the Packers did not take that approach.

Instead, McKinney was out there, and he did what he’s done for most of the season.

He made big plays.

His eighth interception of the season came in the second half with the Packers trialing 14-13.

The Bears ran a trick play where Keenan Allen took a pitch from DJ Moore and wound up to throw the ball down the field.

McKinney did not take any of the bait and stayed in coverage.

His discipline was rewarded as Allen threw a ball that hit him directly in the chest.

McKinney did fumble on the play, but had his bacon saved from a heads up play by Edgerrin Cooper.

In one season, McKinney has already joined the pantheon in great free agent signings. If Reggie White and Charles Woodson are the two greatest free agent signings in Green Bay’s history, then McKinney has an argument for third place on that list.

The debate can be had between McKinney, Julius Peppers, and another player who comes next on this list.

Josh Jacobs

The next player is Josh Jacobs.

Jacobs was a surprise free agent signing this offseason. After Brian Gutekusnt was as complimentary as he was of Aaron Jones, Jacobs was signed to replace him.

Jacobs has filled the void left by Jones both in the backfield and the locker room.

Jacobs did not have his usual workload today, but still made an impact on the game.

His 9-yard touchdown run helped Green Bay pull within 14-10 after a disastrous first quarter saw them fall behind 14-3 after two big miscues on offense and special teams.

He also went over 1,300 yard mark for the season. Those are numbers that have not been seen since Ahman Green was the team’s primary ball carrier in 2003.

Yes, Jacobs had an extra game to play with, but he’s been spectacular this season. Even in limited action, he showed off his importance to the team today.

Rashan Gary

Green Bay’s offense did not have an inspiring start by getting one first down before having to punt to Chicago.

Green Bay’s first possession on defense had them looking ready for the postseason.

Rashan Gary set the tone on the first snap of the game.

Caleb Williams fumbled an errant snap, but Gary beat his man easily around the edge to throw Williams down on the first offensive snap of the game.

Gary was elected to the first Pro Bowl of his career earlier this week, largely due to the voting from players and coaches who have noted how much better he’s been against the run this season.

The reality is, he’s paid to get after the opposing passer, and he did just that to start the game today.

The Packers are paying Gary to play like a star, and they’re going to need him to be with the postseason on the horizon.

Brandon McManus

Where would this team be without a midseason change at kicker?

Brayden Narveson was as inconsistent as they came early in the year, causing Brian Gutekunst to abandon his own call for patience with specialists, and sign a veteran at kicker.

The veteran choice was Brandon McManus.

McManus has missed one kick in Green Bay this year, and his consistency has been a welcomed sight for a position that has wobbled since the days of Mason Crosby donning the green and gold.

McManus made a 55-yard field goal to give the Packers a lead they ultimately squandered in the final moments.

The Green Bay #Packers picked up K Brandon McManus off the street and he’s hitting clutch 55 yard field goals in negative degree weather, while Jake Moody shanking…, never mind 🫣🥹🫠

pic.twitter.com/Li0IcCSsmg

— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) January 5, 2025

The Packers lost in the final minutes, but had McManus' heroics to thank had they been able to win.

One of Gutekunst's first order of business this offseason has to be extending his kicker.

Falling

Eric Stokes

Perhaps the signs were there earlier this week when Jeff Hafley was asked about Eric Stokes’ play, and he was unusually quiet.

Hafley rarely has little to say about any of his players.

When the game started today, Stokes was on the sideline in Green Bay’s base defense.

That’s not unusual. Stokes has been competing with Carrington Valentine for those reps for most of the year with Jaire Alexander sidelined.

The surprise came when Green Bay went to their nickel defense, and Stokes remained on the sideline.

Kitan Oladapo entered the game at safety across from Xavier McKinney with Javon Bullard bumping down to the slot.

Stokes was active. By all accounts he was healthy.

This just appeared to be a coaches decision for the first three quarters of the game.

He did play in the fourth quarter when he was immediately beaten on his first snap by DJ Moore for a first down on 3rd-and-7.

Stokes is playing out the final year of his rookie contract, and if today is any indication, it appears that his future in Green Bay is tenuous at best.

Rest Versus Rust Philosophy

Matt LaFleur was brutally honest earlier this week when asked about his approach for a game that appears meaningless to those outside of the building.

LaFleur said the best philosophy was going to be the one that worked.

“The right answer is whatever works, and I think you’ve got to have a philosophy on what works best for you. We were in a similar situation a few years back where we played the guys a half, and lost in the second half, and then we had the bye and we lost in the playoffs, LaFleur said.”

 The right answer is whatever works, is really what I’ll tell you. I know you’re subject to criticism, and if it goes great that was the right way to do it, and if it doesn’t go the way you want it to, you learn from every experience.”

Green Bay played their starters for a half in the season finale of the 2021 regular season.

David Bakhtiari and Marquez Valdes-Scantling both were injured in the game and unable to play in the Divisional Round against the 49ers.

The Packers lost the battle that day against the Lions, and the war when their season ended two weeks later.

LaFleur’s philosophy this year was to not pull his starters at all, but rather to play them.

In the process, he lost Christian Watson to a knee injury where he was carted off.

Shortly after Watson was injured, so was Jordan Love.

The Packers appear to have dodged a bullet on Love, but nerve injuries are tricky, so this is something to monitor.

If the only way to measure success is to find the philosophy that works, then LaFleur’s philosophy failed miserably today.

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Picking the five best #Packers-Bears games was no small task. Here they are, and some honorable mentions for memorable moments. ⬇️https://t.co/jl7jLvWlzi

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) January 4, 2025

Bears beat Packers 24-22 | Jordan Love, Christian Watson injured | Live updates | Packers Bears weather and prediction | Packers-Bears inactives | Three reasons why Packers will lose to Bears | Three reasons why Packers will beat Bears | Packers transactions | Q&A on eve of Matt LaFleur’s 100th game | Five greatest games in Packers-Bears history | Eric Stokes shows some of his first-round talent | Packers-Bears final injury report | NFC North power rankings and previews | Pro Bowler Rashan Gary | Pro Bowler Xavier McKinney | Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs | Packers-Bears keys to the game | New Year’s resolutions | Jaire Alexander surgery; pressure’s on other corners | Packers-Bears: Time, TV, weather, trends | Packers-Bears matchups