Nobody left Soldier Field early this week, and area football fans didn’t leave their seats in local bars either.

The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 20-12 Sunday, much to the dismay of hundreds of Bears fans and a few Packers fans, who came out to witness the battle at their favorite watering holes around DeKalb.

“They can’t win if they can’t score a touchdown,” said Karl Moose, a junior computer science major, in reference to the Bears’ performance, after watching the game at Molly’s Eatery and Drinkery, 1022 W. Lincoln Highway.

DeKalb resident Ryan Schaefer also watched the game with his wife, Sarah, at Molly’s. Ryan sported the classic yellow cheese hat, while his wife wore an Abercrombie & Fitch Bears sweatshirt.

“This is the only thing that we disagree about, and it makes for an interesting Sunday,” Sarah said. “I don’t have any real reactions to the game, it’s the cheddar-heads I have reactions to.”

Both maintained a sense of humor about their football loyalties.

“This is the best game that ever happened,” Ryan said. “The Bears gave it a gallant effort, but their luck had to run out.”

Sarah laughed, but fired back, “I still love the Bears.”

Ryan said he grew up in Wisconsin, but recently moved to Illinois.

“I came down to Illinois to convert everybody,” he said. “Everybody’s seeing the light, and they’re heading toward the cheese.”

During their traditional afternoon out whenever the Bears and Packers play, DeKalb residents Chuck and Audrey Herrmann used the halftime lull to discuss the game at Starbusters Bar and Grill, 930 Pappas Drive.

The score was 10-9 in favor of the Packers at the half.

“We are right there,” Chuck said. “The defense is still making the game. That’s what happened in ’85, half of the points were scored by the defense.”

The Herrmanns said they get a babysitter to watch their kids and go out for some fun every time the Bears and the Packers line up.

“We’re bar-hoppers,” Audrey said, referring to where the couple prefers to go when the two teams compete.

DeKalb resident John Porter and his friend from Chicago, Kris Ororke, watched the game at Fatty’s, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway.

Porter proclaims himself to be a Dolphins fan, but admits he went to Fatty’s to watch the rivalry.

“The Packers got ‘em,” he said, as the Packers took a 17-9 lead in the third quarter.

Ororke agreed.

“The Bears have a sense of urgency in them, they know they’re down,” Ororke said.

Chicago resident Mike Conway was in town to watch his nephew compete in a football tournament Sunday at Huskie Stadium, and had a different opinion after the Bears made the score 17-12 as he watched the game at Molly’s.

“They pushed the start time of my nephew’s game back from 1:30 p.m., so I came here to watch the Bears game,” he said. “It’s been a pretty good game so far, I’m surprised it’s so close.”

His 10-year old nephew was playing with the Downers Grove Panthers.

The Bears ultimately lost the game, frustrating Bears fans and elating Packers fans.

“The true team was going to prevail, definitely,” Ryan Schaefer said.

Moos said he felt let down by the Bears’ performance.

“I really expected the Bears to win,” he said.