Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Packers have favorable remaining schedule
A quick recap of the Green Bay Packers’ 45-30 victory Sunday night against the Chicago Bears:
Big picture
A prosperous day for the Packers: Not only did they beat their archrivals to improve to 10-3, they also moved back into first place for the top seed in the NFC after the Arizona Cardinals (10-3) lost to the L.A. Rams (9-4) on Monday. The Packers’ next game will be against a reeling Baltimore Ravens team that may not have star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who suffered a sprained ankle Sunday. With only the Browns, Vikings and Lions remaining on their schedule after Baltimore, the Packers are poised to run the table down the stretch.
Turning point
This was the second-highest-scoring game in the Packers’ long history against the Bears, topped only by a 52-31 Chicago victory in 1955. After a wild second quarter that left the Bears ahead 2721 at the break, the Packers opened the third quarter with a methodical nineplay, 75-yard march that featured six runs and culminated in a 3-yard TD dash by Aaron Jones for a 28-27 lead. On the Bears’ next series, Preston Smith stripped Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields of the ball and Rashan Gary recovered the fumble on the Chicago 23. Aaron Rodgers needed just one play (a 23-yard toss to Jones) to convert the turnover into a touchdown for a 35-27 lead that put Green Bay in command.
Game ball
Star receiver Davante Adams caught 10 passes for 121 yards and two TDs and got help from Allen Lazard (six catches for 75 yards and a score).
5 Takeaways
1. Running back rotation effective
During the Matt LaFleur era, the
Packers have been their best when Jones is hot. This year, AJ Dillon has taken away some of Jones’ opportunities, so Jones hasn’t been as productive. In all three losses this season, he hasn’t been a factor and the Packers were 2-6 in games he has gained fewer than 55 yards or hasn’t played since the start of the ’20 season. Over the course of his career, the Bears had been tougher on Jones than any other team in the division, holding him to 55.5 yards per game and 4.22 yards per carry. On Sunday night, Jones carried five times for 35 yards and a TD and hauled in three passes for 30 yards and a score. Dillon played the role of battering ram, carrying 15 times for 71 yards and helping to wear down the Bears’ defense.
2. Bears take early lead with field goal, touchdown
The last time the Bears had scored a touchdown in the first quarter was against the Packers in Week 6 and the rest of the game was a dogfight, even after
the Packers countered with 17 straight points. Since that game, the Bears had scored three first-quarter points and trailed in every game but one heading into the second quarter. On Sunday night, the Bears again failed to score a first-quarter TD but still led 3-0 and increased their advantage to 10-0 on their first drive of the second quarter before the Packers woke up and took control.
3. Finding ways to replace Cobb’s production
Before Cobb suffered a core muscle injury against the Rams, 12 of the veteran receiver’s receptions this season came on third down. Not only that, 10 of them were first downs and two were touchdowns. Cobb’s contributions came in spots, so it’s not like they completely relied on him on third down. But they still must replace his production and it will fall upon the entire receiving group. On Sunday, Adams and Lazard were the preferred targets, making all the key third- and fourth-down plays (Marquez Valdes-Scantling was the only other receiver to make a thirddown catch).
4. Rodgers doesn’t throw an interception, but Fields throws two
No team has more interceptions against Rodgers than the Bears (10), but they have failed to pick him off since LaFleur took over the team. In five games, Rodgers has thrown 12 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Entering Sunday, his last interception came in the third quarter Nov. 14 against Seattle and considering the Bears had one interception in their past seven games, Rodgers could expect to have free rein to test the secondary. And that he did, connecting on 29 of 37 passes for 341 yards and four TDs. Meanwhile, Fields threw two interceptions, one a pick-six returned 55 yards to the end zone by Rasul Douglas. Douglas also had a pick-six in the Packers’ previous game Nov. 28 against the Rams, making him the first Packers player to turn the trick in consecutive games since Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley in 1965.
5. Is the Packers’ kicking game straightened out?
Believe it or not, the Packers didn’t rank last in the NFL in field goal percentage entering Week 14. They were 30th (66.67%). Special teams coach Maurice Drayton said the operation looked much better this week in practice but stated the obvious: It must carry over to the games. Getting a week off had to help kicker Mason Crosby get his head right, but if this game came down to a field goal try, the Bears had a better track record (kicker Cairo Santos was 16 of 17). Crosby was fine against the Bears on Sunday, connecting on his only fieldgoal attempt (20 yards) and all six extra points. Kick-return coverage was the Packers’ problem on this night, with the most glaring failure being a 97-yard punt return for a TD by the Bears’ Jakeem Grant (the only punt-return touchdown in the NFL this season).