The Chicago Bears have scored only 3 points in the first half of two games against the Green Bay Packers and need to avoid another slow start Saturday night.
One of the keys to Saturday night's Wild Card playoff showdown vs. the Green Bay Packers is how the Bears start the game. Perplexing to both head coach Ben Johnson andEspecially against the Packers. In the two regular-season meetings the Bears never led during regulation, winning the second game only on Williams' walk-off touchdown pass to DJ Moore in overtime.
At Lambeau Field, Chicago trailed 14-3 at halftime. Two weeks later they were down, 6-0, at the break. In the two game against the Packers the Bears have had eight possessions in the first half: 6 punts. 1 turnover on downs. 1 field goal. "The biggest thing with us playing complementary football is us getting out to that fast start," offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said this week. "Having urgency right from the first snap and being able to go out and execute the plan, execute the openers and be able to go put points on the board." The slow starts have been a troubling trend all season, mostly camouflaged by the wild comeback wins. Chicago won six games after trailing in the final two minutes, the most in the NFL since 1970. That's great for the highlight reel, but it's not a sustainable blueprint for winning playoff games.The slow starts finally caught up to them in losses to San Francisco and Detroit to close the regular season. In the past three games the Bears have run 66 fewer plays and been outscored, 47-21, in the first half.Ben Johnson appears to immediately regret huge blunderRichie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print , TV and radio . During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.Luther Burden Injury Update: Bears Get Promising News on Rookie Wide Receiver
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