Rodgers hits milestone in Packers’ win
Star quarterback completes 39 passes as rocker Bon Jovi denies bid to take over Titans
>> GREEN BAY: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers set a franchise record with 39 completed passes for Green Bay, leading the Packers to a 26-10 win against Chicago on Thursday.
Rodgers finished 39 of 56 on pass attempts, for 326 yards and three touchdowns.
“It means we threw it a lot,” Rodgers said of the record. “But a lot of times records like these are achieved in losses when you’re way behind.”
The Packers (4-2) moved effectively on short gains most of the night, but couldn’t break into the end zone until Davante Adams caught the first of his two touchdown receptions with 9:11 minutes left in the third quarter for a 13-10 lead.
Rodgers and Adams combined again for a 4-yard score on the first play of fourth quarter for a 10-point lead.
The Bears (1-6) lost quarterback Brian Hoyer to a broken left arm in the second quarter. With Jay Cutler already out with a right thumb injury, Chicago turned to third-stringer Matt Barkley.
An offence that was already 31st in the league in scoring got worse. Barkley was six of 15 for 81 yards and two interceptions.
“When you lose your starting quarterback it can be disruptive,” Bears coach John Fox said. “It’s not an excuse, it’s just a reality.”
He tried to rely on the rush against the NFL’s third-best run defence. It didn’t work either.
Kadeem Carey had 48 yards on 10 carries, including a 24-yarder. Receiver Alshon Jeffery was held to three catches for 33 yards against a Packers secondary without their top three cornerbacks because of injuries.
That 37th completion for Rodgers was a two-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb in the fourth quarter for a 16-point lead.
Adams, Ty Montgomery and Cobb each finished with at least 10 receptions.
Meanwhile, Bon Jovi’s upcoming album is entitled, This House is Not For Sale, and apparently neither are the Tennessee Titans.
Earlier this week, CBS Sports reported that Bon Jovi and Peyton Manning were “monitoring the Tennessee Titans ownership situation”, leading to speculation they were looking to purchase the Nashville-based team. That prompted Titans acting owner, Amy Adams Strunk to say the team is not for sale.
On Wednesday, Jon Bon Jovi sat down with The Associated Press to set the record straight.
“Let me dispel the rumours right now,” he said with a laugh. “I wake up to these headlines with my name on them and they’re just not true. I want to make it perfectly clear that the team is not for sale, nor has it ever been, and I respect and admire [late franchise founder] Bud Adams’ legacy. End of story, I wish them all the success in the world.”
He added: “You wake up to that and you’re, ‘Wait a minute. I don’t want to upset anybody. I didn’t do anything.’”
While the New Jersey rocker hopes to add NFL owner to his resume one day, it’s not happening yet.
“I love the NFL, and I did in fact try to buy the Buffalo Bills, but this has nothing to do with that. All I’m doing — I’m in the music business. End of story.”