Sunday’s victory over the Chicago Bears was Green Bay's most complete effort in over a year.
The passing game returned to its elite status, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers dismantled Chicago’s secondary. The much-maligned offensive line kept Rodgers upright, while the receiving corps finally played up to its potential. Jordy Nelson was spectacular, catching 10 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Randall Cobb added 113 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. Cobb’s performance is especially noteworthy after last week’s dud against Detroit.
The Packers scored on six of their seven possessions, with a blocked field being their only failed drive of the game. In fact, Green Bay didn’t punt in this game. Neither did the Bears. For only the second time in NFL history (1992: Buffalo at San Francisco), there was no punt in an NFL game.
The running game remains shoddy, with Eddie Lacy rushing for just 48 yards on 17 carries. Solving the rushing woes remains crucial to Green Bay’s long-term success. Lacy seems to lack the quickness he demonstrated a year ago, indicating he may be regressing.
The defense, however, turned in another encouraging performance. Yes, Chicago gained nearly 500 yards of offense, but a majority of the gains came in the first half. The Packers played much better in the second half, allowing less than 200 yards of offense and surrendering zero points. They also intercepted quarterback Jay Cutler twice and sacked him once. Green Bay’s defense has now played well in six of their last eight quarters.
You don‘t make or break a season in September, yet the last few weeks have been trying times for Packers fans. Perhaps we should heed the advice of Rodgers and take a week to relax.
Turning Point
Trailing by just four points, Chicago drove down the field in the final minutes of the first half. With no timeouts and just nine second remaining, head coach Marc Trestman opted to take a shot at the end zone. Cutler found tight end Martellus Bennett at the goal line. All he had to do was power his way into the end zone and the Bears would've gone into halftime with the lead, yet rookie safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix managed to tackle Bennett short of the goal line. Time ran out and the Packers went into the half with a 21-17 lead. They proceeded to outscore Chicago 21-0 in the second half.
Unsung Hero
A big difference between this week and last week was the offensive line’s pass protection. The Bears were without defensive end Jared Allen, but they did upgrade the defensive line in the off-season by signing defensive lineman Lamar Houston and Willie Young. Neither registered a sack against the Pack. Houston didn’t even make a tackle. The offensive line finished the game without allowing a hit on Rodgers.
Stud of the Game
Rodgers was nearly flawless on the afternoon, completing 22-of-28 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Rodgers improved his career record against the Bears to 11-3.
Looking Ahead
A Thursday night tilt against Minnesota marks the end of Green Bay’s three-game stretch against divisional opponents.
Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater led the Vikings to 558 total yards against Atlanta, their most yards since 2004. Bridgewater injured his ankle, though, late in the fourth quarter of the 41-28 victory. His status for Thursday’s game is unknown, though recent signs indicate he'll make his second career start on Thursday.
Keep an eye on Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes. The 2012 first-round pick features the size and speed to compete with Nelson. I suspect Rhodes will shadow Nelson for much of the game, forcing Rodgers to look the way of one of the other receivers. The Packers may need another big performance from Cobb, especially if the running game continues to struggle.
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