With the season on the line, the offense that managed exactly 28 yards in the first quarter came to some semblance of life very late in the evening. Matt Forte totaled 73 rushing yards and 28 receiving, and Kyle Orton wobbled through regulation with 12 completions in 25 attempts, then went 2-for-2 in overtime to set up the winning field goal. Orton turned a muffed Green Bay punt return into a third-quarter score with a 3-yard TD pass to Greg Olsen, but he threw interceptions in the third and fourth quarters to squander opportunities, and receivers did little to help with drops and poor routes.

\ Defense: C-

The defense played with an edge early, then struggled through the second quarter. But it held the Packers to a field goal in the second half with everything at stake. Linebackers blitzed effectively into run gaps against an offense set to test it with Ryan Grant, who averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. Nickel back Danieal Manning had a near-sack plus a deflection that was intercepted by Alex Brown to give the Bears a takeaway in 24 straight games. Aaron Rodgers had 260 passing yards and two TDs and wasn't sacked.

Special teams: A-

Robbie Gould's 38-yard field goal kept the season alive for another week, with help from Brown's block of Mason Crosby's attempt late in regulation. Danieal Manning turned the game around briefly with a 70-yard kickoff return that netted a 31-yard Gould field goal. Players spotted but couldn't stop Green Bay's fake punt and fourth-down conversion in the second quarter that led to the Packers' first touchdown. Rashied Davis' handling of a Green Bay blocker on a punt caused a muff that set up a Bears TD in the third quarter. Devin Hester's 24-yard punt return in the fourth quarter provided field position.

\ Coaching: C-

All's well that ends well, but which team was fighting for its playoff life and which was playing out the string? Minus-13 windchill aside, a Bears team with everything to play for showed little urgency. Blame the coaches and players equally, because the energy was on the Packers' sideline for all but a few too-brief stretches. After painful losses to Minnesota, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina and Tampa Bay, the Bears get points for never quitting, and the finish is more important than the start. Barely.