The Packers’ offense erupted and the defense played stingy football as Green Bay outscored Chicago 24-3 in the second half en-route to a 45-30 home win. “For whatever reason the first half was as bad as it could get,” said head coach Matt LaFleur following the win. “…I thought it [his team’s play] was much better in the second half.” Green Bay trailed Chicago 27-21 at halftime.
Chicago moved the ball well with both the run and pass in the first half and when rookie QB Justin Fields hit WR Jakeem Grant with a pass over the middle and Grant took it 46 yards for a TD, the Bears went up 10-0. The Bears’ special teams also had a great first half. With 1:57 to go in the 2nd quarter, after a punt by Packers’ Corey Bojorquez, Grant jetted 97 yards past the Packers’ D and into the endzone to put the bears up 24-14.
The Packers righted the ship after halftime speeches by NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and OLB Preston Smith. “I’m not quite sure what he said,” said LaFleur who mentioned that he left the locker room before Rodgers and Smith addressed their teammates. “It seemed to me that everybody was on the same page and there was no panic,” he added in reference to Smith’s words to his teammates.
As mentioned, the Packers dominated in the second 30 minutes behind another MVP-worthy effort by Rodgers who finished the night 29 for 37 passing with 4 TDs and a 141.1 QB rating. Rodgers has now thrown more TD passes against the Bears, with 61 TD tosses, than any NFL QB. Rodgers passed up Packers’ legend and H.O.F. QB Favre Sunday Night. “It does mean a lot to me, it really does,” Rodgers said in his post-game presser. He continued, “The majority of stats don’t mean much, but this rivalry does mean a lot to me…I know how much this rivalry means to our fans….to follow Brett and know how successful he was over his time, I’m definitely going to hang onto that ball, [the record-setting TD ball] its an important one.”
The Facts:
Bears 30 Packer 45
Turnovers: 3/0
Sacks: 2/14 vs 3/21
First Downs: 16/27
3rd&4th DN: 5/14 vs 5/10
Rushing: 23/137 vs 24 /119
Passing: 18/33 for 224 vs 29/37 for 341
Penalties: 7/41 vs 3/30
The Feelings:
Happiness, joy, and love! Packers fans are sure to be feeling Happiness over another win against their hated rival Bears. Joy is the feeling of winning at Lambeau with the entire football world watching on SNF. And love for the Pack who, with a Cardinals loss tonight, will once again hold the top spot in the NFC playoff picture.
Boring! Ho-Hum, another MVP effort…
Rodgers has been on fire and in the last three games has thrown 10 TDs with no interceptions and all this while nursing a fractured pinky toe and barely practicing. Pack fans are likely so used to Rodgers’ greatness that a stellar performance, like the one he put up last night, is now expected from Rodgers and the offense.
Play of the Game
Down 10-7 with 5:09 left in the first half, Packers’ CB Rasul Douglass jumped a route on a pass by Fields and took the ball 55 yards for the pick 6 TD. The play changed the momentum (briefly) for the Bears and Fields, who had limited success passing for the rest of the game and threw another pick late in the 4th quarter.
Optimism:
Packers’ fans are sure to be feeling optimistic about the season and will be rooting for the Rams to beat the Cardinals on MNF as Arizona holds the top spot in the NFC playoffs. A Rams win would give the spot back to the Pack.
The Packers next play Sunday at Baltimore, FYI – the NFL flexed the game to 3:25 p.m.
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