With Sunday’s win in primetime, the Green Bay Packers have now won seven in a row against the Chicago Bears.
Aaron Rodgers and the offense scored three touchdowns in a 27-10 win over Chicago and looked much more in sync than they did last week. Green Bay’s pass defense also produced a much better performance as they held the Bears to just 48 total yards through the air.
Here’s our instant analysis of the Packers’ win, highlighting what went right, what went wrong, and what it all means moving forward:
What went right
For starters, returning two key players was huge for the Packers’ offense. Allen Lazard and Elgton Jenkins returned to the lineup in Week 2, which gave the offense a much-needed boost. Jenkins had a couple of rough reps but, for the most part, looked steady at right tackle, while Lazard caught two passes for 13 yards, with one being a touchdown.
Aaron Jones was the top performer for Green Bay’s offense after not getting nearly enough touches in the season opener. Jones carried the ball 15 times for 132 yards, averaging close to nine yards per carry. He added one touchdown on the ground and another through the air on a touch pass from Aaron Rodgers.
And speaking of Rodgers, the Packers quarterback was extremely efficient Sunday night. Rodgers was 19 of 25 for 234 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 131.1 passer rating. Newcomer Sammy Watkins led the way for Green Bay pass catchers with 93 yards on three receptions.
Meanwhile, Green Bay’s defense allowed a touchdown on the opening drive but responded by allowing just three points after that. Justin Fields failed to do any damage from the pocket, which was a credit to the Packers’ pass rush, who came away with three sacks. Preston Smith had arguably one of his best games since coming to Green Bay in 2019. Smith was responsible for two sacks and also had a team-high seven tackles.
The defense’s lone turnover was on a sweet play from Jaire Alexander, who came across the field to catch what was essentially the game-ending interception late in the fourth quarter. It was Alexander’s first interception since week three of last season.
What went wrong
Rodgers and his rookie receivers are still working out the kinks. On the first drive, Romeo Doubs failed to get his head turned around on a quick hitter to the flat as the ball bounced off of him and dropped incomplete. Christian Watson appeared to do the same thing last week, but thankfully, these are just minor details that can be cleaned up.
Overall, Green Bay’s defense had a much better outing than they did in Week 1, but it could have been much better. The Bears gashed them on the ground for 180 rushing yards after they allowed 128 to the Minnesota Vikings. Running back David Montgomery racked up 122 rushing yards and did it on only 15 carries. Most of it appeared to be a result of poor tackling.
Hopefully, this sort of run defense doesn’t become a common theme this season.
What it means
It’s still early in the season, but the Packers needed this win. It would have been miserable to head down to Tampa to face Tom Brady at 0-2.
The offense saw noticeable improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 and will hopefully continue the upwards trend. The play calling was much better, which is a nice way of commending Matt LaFleur for making a concerted effort to get Jones the ball. That should continue to be the recipe moving forward. The defense still has a way to go to be considered elite but should at least be a little more confident in preparation to face a talented Tampa Bay offense.
