Green Bay capitalizes on Chicago’s turnovers
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes and the injury-riddled Packers converted three turnovers into scores in an eventful 35-14 victory over mistake-prone Chicago on Thursday night.
Rodgers connected with Davante Adams and Randall Cobb on short touchdown passes to help build a 21-0 lead in the second quarter of a game delayed 45 minutes by lightning between the first two quarters. Green Bay overpowered the Bears down the stretch to slog out a win as intermittent rain fell at Lambeau Field.
The Packers (3-1) lost two more key players to injuries. Adams, a Palo Alto High grad, left the field on a stretcher after getting hit in the head during a tackle by Danny Trevathan in the third quarter. Running back Ty Montgomery, a Stanford alum, was knocked out in the first quarter with a chest injury.
The injury to Adams cast a pall over Lambeau. The game was delayed for about five minutes while medical personnel tended to the receiver, who gave a thumbs-up signal as he was wheeled off the field.
The Packers said Adams was conscious and taken to a hospital for evaluation for possible head and neck injuries, and that he had feeling in all of his extremities.
“The news I was given on Davante — everything looks positive. That’s a great sign,” Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy said.
Green Bay capitalized on an awful start by Chicago quarterback Mike Glennon, who accounted for four turnovers.
Glennon fumbled on his first snap on a strip sack by Clay Matthews. Rodgers hit Cobb for a 2-yard touchdown pass three plays later for a 14-0 lead. The rout was on.
Glennon fumbled on his next series, too, but the Packers couldn’t score on that drive. Glennon threw his second interception with 2:54 left in the third quarter. Six plays later, receiver Jordy Nelson caught his second touchdown pass, an 8yarder from Rodgers, to make it a 28-point lead.
Rodgers was 18-for-26 for 179 yards. He picked apart the Bears (1-3) on short, quick passes, a game plan in part necessitated by a patchwork offensive line. The Packers played without starting tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga, and their three backup tackles are on injured reserve.