Winners and losers: 5 takeaways for Packers' narrow Week 11 win over Bears

The Packers entered their Week 11 matchup at Chicago hoping their bye week would recharge a number of players on their roster. Instead, Green Bay looked rusty against their division rivals and escaped the Windy City with a narrow 20-19 win thanks to a blocked field goal as time expired.

Optimistic fans might claim that good NFL teams find a way to win games when they don't play at their best. Those with more cynical leanings might say this game showed exactly why the Packers don't have what it takes to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders this year. Beating a Bears team that was battered by the Patriots a week ago by a single point was not an inspirational victory by any measure.

The individual player performances weren't all bad for head coach Matt LaFleur, but their was more bad than good this week for Green Bay. Read on to discover five players who elevated or diminished their stock at Chicago.

Packers winner No. 1: Christian Watson

Christian Watson only managed four targets against the Bears but it's fair to say he made the most of them. The big-play receiver tortured the Bears' secondary for 150 receiving yards including an explosive 60-yard reception.

That target share might not seem sufficient at first glance given Watson's 37.5 yards per catch but it's important to note that quarterback Jordan Love only threw the ball 17 times on the afternoon. Only Josh Jacobs enjoyed more targets (5) than Watson did against the Bears.

Watson may never be the most consistent wideout available to Love, but if he can turn into a more consistent deep-play threat it could open things up for the team's passing game. This was a step in the right direction for Watson but he needs to stack productive Sundays on top of one another if he's going to elevate his status in the Green Bay receiver room.

Packers winner No. 2: Brenton Cox

It was clear Preston Smith's departure was going to give other edge rushers on the Packers roster more opportunities in this game. Most fans expected Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare to be the big winners down the stretch.

Instead, it was undrafted free agent Brenton Cox who seized his opportunity against Chicago. He entered the game as third-string on the Green Bay depth chart but exited it with one sack and two tackles for loss against the Bears.

It's too early to slot Cox in ahead of the more established edge-rushers on the depth chart but he made a strong case for more playing time moving forward. Just because Van Ness and Enagbare have bigger reputations doesn't mean they can keep Cox off the field in future weeks. Production will be king to defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley regardless of draft status.

Packers loser No. 1: Tyler Kraft

The Packers did not throw the ball a lot against Chicago but it was still shocking to see Tyler Kraft only get one target on the day. Add in the fact that he didn't notch a single catch and it's easy to question his role on the offense moving forward.

It might be more appropriate to list Kraft along with the rest of the Packers' receivers who like to work short and intermediate routes on this list. Love did a lot of good work down the field but he almost ignored the sort of routes who might have allowed Green Bay to keep the ball away from Caleb Williams and the Chicago offense.

Kraft will have better days but it's becoming obvious that he cannot stretch the field in the way Love really appreciates. Time will tell if Luke Musgrave can return from injury quickly enough to help the team in that manner this season. If he can't, it might be time for Green Bay to shop for a more dynamic tight end this offseason.

Packers loser No. 2: Lukas Van Ness

The aforementioned Smith trade combined with the fact that Williams was sacked nine times last week seemed to portend good things for Van Ness in Week 11. Instead, he did not manage to log a single tackle in 25 snaps against the soft Bears' front.

It's a bit too early for Green Bay to completely give up on the high draft pick but it's time for questions to be asked. If he can't manage to grab hold of a meaningful role down the stretch then he can't be counted on as a part of the team's future corps this offseason. That may seem harsh for a player who came into the NFL with such lofty expectations but it's the reality of the modern NFL.

Packers loser No. 3: Jaire Alexander

The Packers were excited to have their most established corner back onto the field this week but he only managed to last 10 snaps. The early reports are that his setback is not anything serious, but it's fair for the coaching staff to wonder if he can really be counted on during the second half of the campaign.

The good news for Alexander is that the Packers do not have a real choice in the matter. Unless they choose to trust former seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine to be a full-time starter they will need to hope Alexander can come back and regain full health. It's too soon to write him off for the rest of the season but fans in Green Bay have every right to be nervous about their presumed No. 1 cornerback.