The Green Bay Packers entered the bye week after converting only 16 of 34 red-zone trips into touchdowns during the first nine games of 2024 — a conversion rate that ranked 29th out of 32 NFL teams to start the season.
The first test coming out the bye for Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love?
The Chicago Bears’ top-ranked red zone defense.
Through 10 weeks, the Bears have allowed only 10 touchdowns on 27 trips into their red zone. The 10 red-zone touchdowns are the second fewest in the NFL, and Chicago’s defense is one of only two (Los Angeles Chargers) with a touchdown conversion rate inside the red zone under 40 percent this season.
The success inside the 20-yard line is a big reason why opponents have attempted 24 field goal attempts against the Bears this season, ranking as the fourth most in the NFL. This is bend but don’t break — which is partly why the Bears rank 13th in yards allowed but seventh in points.
Can LaFleur and Love find answers inside the 20-yard line on Sunday?
There’s no doubt the Packers spent time during the bye studying what went wrong in the red zone. LaFleur said penalties have been a big factor in stalling drives because getting off schedule in the red zone is often hard to overcome. The Packers led the NFL in penalties inside the 20-yard line during the first nine weeks. Drops have been another problem at every spot on the field.
One factor to consider: Love’s health. He should have two healthy legs coming out of the bye, which would allow him to create more accuracy and more off-schedule plays. In a condensed area, accuracy and timing is vital for creating completions And when plays break down, a quarterback must often buy time and move around to create throwing windows. When the Packers got hot late last season, Love was creating extended plays to help create touchdowns in the red zone.
It’s one thing to get into the scoring area. The Packers have created explosive plays so consistently this season that red-zone trips haven’t been scarce. But converting has been a season-long issue, and the Packers won’t truly reach their potential until they are turning more trips inside the 20 into seven points.
One way to keep the reeling Bears in the game on Sunday would be settling for short field goals in the red zone. Can the Packers take a big step forward in a key area coming out of the bye and unlock one of the NFL’s best red-zone defenses?
