Packers get past woeful Bears
Aaron Rodgers set a record. The Chicago Bears lost another quarterback.
After a slow start in the red zone, the Green Bay Packers picked up the pace in the second half to overpower their offensively- challenged NFC North rivals.
Rodgers threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, Davante Adams and former Stanford star Ty Montgomery emerged as playmakers in the second half, and Packers beat the Bears 26-10 on Thursday night.
Rodgers was 39 of 56, setting a franchise mark for completions in a game. It was the Packers’ first contest without injured running back Eddie Lacy.
“A lot of moving parts, a very satisfying victory at home,” coach Mike McCarthy said.
Montgomery, who got the start in the backfield with running backs Lacy (ankle) and James Starks (knee) out, finished with 10 catches for 66 yards, and nine carries for 60 yards.
The Packers (4-2) moved effectively on short gains most of the night but couldn’t break into the end zone until Adams caught the first of his two touchdown receptions with 9:11 left in the third quarter for a 13-10 lead.
Rodgers and Adams combined again for a 4yard 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 thirdstringer Matt Barkley.
Giants: Josh Brown’s future with the team and possibly the NFL is in jeopardy after police released journal entries and emails in which the placekicker admitted that he repeatedly verbally and physically abused his former wife. The league reacted by re- opening its investigation into a 2015 domestic abuse complaint made by Brown’s former wife, though prosecutors said they were closing the criminal case without filing charges because they could not secure key testimony from the woman and other key witnesses. Meanwhile, the Giants announced before traveling to London that Brown would not make the trip before a game Sunday against the Rams.
Colts: Terricka Cromartie believes the team cut her husband, Antonio, because of his national anthem protest. On Thursday, she took her claims public on Instagram. The Colts signed Cromartie on Aug. 22 to solidify a secondary decimated by injuries. He was cut the day after being benched for poor play in Week 4.
Bills: LeSean McCoy is reportedly “a game-time decision” after injuring his hamstring in practice Wednesday. Coach Rex Ryan used the word “hopeful” in providing an update a day after McCoy left practice complaining of tightness in one of his hamstrings. Ryan declined to go into detail when asked about the severity of the injury except to say it wasn’t “full blown.”
Washington: Receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end Jordan Reed missed practice, putting their availability for this week’s game at the Detroit Lions into question. Jackson has a sore left shoulder and also sat out Wednesday.