Packers 24 Bears 14: Game Balls and Lame Calls

Pack puts offense and defense together for important division win.

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields was probably more surprised than anyone. He took his athleticism for granted.  Taking his team down the field on a critical drive late in the 4th quarter, Fields had a first down on the Packers 32 yard line.  He dropped back, drifted to his left, and saw Kenny Clark bolting toward him.  No problem, he thought.  I’ll just give him a little juke to the right and shake him off and continue to buy time. 

 

Except Clark is a bit of an athlete himself.  He lunged at Fields quicker than anticipated, latched on to him and took him down for a 12 yard sack.  Two plays later, third and fifteen from the 37, Fields lopes out of the pocket to his right, looks patiently downfield, as Clark bears down on him again.  Fields , accustomed to easily outrunning oncoming defensive linemen, begins to run harder toward the sideline.  But much to his surprise, Clark outruns him and twists him to the ground for a backbreaking eleven yard sack.  Game over. 

 

It should come as no surprise that it was the front end of the Green Bay defense that had to make the plays to put the game away.  The back end was decimated with three of four starters out injured.  On the previous possession, the rookie Fields riddled the secondary, going five for five for 64 yards, culminating in a touchdown throw to a wide open Darnell Mooney.  It was clear the beleaguered defensive backs would not hold up.   So a front seven, getting better every week, and making the former Ohio State signal caller uncomfortable all day long, took care of business.  The result was an extremely satisfying 24-14 victory over the arch rival Bears, a five game winning streak, and a two game lead in the NFC  North. 

 

This was the most complete game of the year to date for the Green and Gold.  The offense thumbed its nose at the vaunted Bears defense, running the ball right through them for 154 yards.  Especially impressive was the way the Packers took a punch in the first quarter, as the Chicago defense sacked Rodgers to end Green Bay’s first drive, then marched 80 yards to take a 7-0 lead with the home crowd going wild.  The patient Packer offense then reeled off 17 unanswered points to take control and never looked back. 

 

GAME BALLS 

 

Offensive Line 

Even after losing center Josh Myers early to injury, the quintet of Elgton Jenkins, Jon Runyan, Lucas Patrick, Royce Newman and Billy Turner blew open holes in the strong Bears defensive front all day.  It’s truly amazing how this unit seems to get better each week, despite shuffling personnel in and out, a tribute to the coaches and the work ethic of these young talents. 

 

AJ Dillon-Aaron Jones 

I’m giving them a game ball collectively because they were the perfect complement to each other.  Jones averaged 5.8 yards per carry and Dillon 5.4.  And how much did you enjoy Dillon trampling the life out of the Bears’ chances by churning out 23 yards and two first downs to run out the clock at the end?   

 

Kenny Clark 

Without question, the key to this five game win streak has been the improved play of the defensive line.  Clark seems to have inspired guys like Lowry, Keke and Slaton to take it up a notch, and considering the injuries in the secondary, it would be hard to overstate the importance.  The two 4th quarter sacks were nothing short of Kahlil Mack-esque. 

 

The usual honorable mentions to Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams.  Edge rusher Jonathan Garvin quietly had a good game, with a sack and a tackle for loss. 

 

Joe Barry 

After the week one disaster against the Saints, the defense has limited opponents to 17, 28, 17, 22 and 14 points.  The weekly improvement is palpable, and is particularly impressive when you consider the injuries to several of his best players.  Some credit where it is due to the defensive coordinator. 

 

 

LAME CALLS 

 

Kylin Hill Helmet Slap 

His decision to retaliate to being hooked by a Bears player on the 4th quarter kick return resulted in a 15 yard penalty, and gave Chicago instant field position at a critical time.  The rookie must learn self control, particularly at a pivotal juncture like that. 

 

Offensive Pass Interference on EQ 

He did put his hands on the defender, and maybe there was a very mild extension of the arms, but receivers nearly always get the benefit of the doubt on a play like that.  Should have been a confidence-building score for EQ.  And how in the world did the official originally rule that he was out of bounds? 

 

 

AFTERTHOUGHTS 

 

Aaron Rodgers:  “I love playing at Soldier Field.  I said it this week.  I have a lot of respect for the fans.  I’m sure there is a little bit of respect coming back my way, but not much love I’m sure.  Lot of great moments on this field, lot of great battles, and today was much like those other ones.” 

 

Elgton Jenkins:  “I feel like I played kind of average, but, first game back, I did okay.” 

 

Lucas Patrick:  “There’s going to be a alot of things to learn from this game, especially for the guys who have never played in a Packers-Bears rivalry.  You learn a lot about yourself in these games.” 

 

Aaron Jones:  “Steno (offensive line coach Adam Stenavich) does a great job with those guys up front.  They come in and there’s no let up.  They’re all physical.  They all get after it.  They’re all leaders and I love running behind those guys.” 

 

 

THREE AND OUT 

•  Matt LaFleur promised the Packers would try to be more creative in the red zone, and that was on display on their first trip there.  The fake to Jones on the jet sweep, followed by the shovel toss to Lazard for the score was well-designed and unscouted.   More of that please. 

 

•  There were two new sightings for the Pack.  Linebacker Jaylon Smith got in the game and forced at least one incompletion on a blitz.  And Rodgers finally trusted rookie Amari Rodgers with a short throw in the flat which the ex-Clemson star turned into a 12 yard gain.  More of that too please. 

 

•  So after seeing the incredibly hyped Justin Fields for the first time in a complete game, I must say I’m not all that impressed.  He doesn’t have the football speed of Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray, his judgement is questionable, and his accuracy leaves much to be desired.  Sure, he can complete some throws against a crippled secondary when he has all day to throw, but on critical third and fourth down plays he was ineffective.  I know he’s still learning the game, but I’m not ready to agree that he is the future savior of the franchise. 

  

 

 

 

 

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__________________________

Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.

__________________________

NFL Categories: 
19 points
 

Comments (81)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Spock's picture

October 18, 2021 at 07:51 am

Agree with most Ken's takes on the game except for: "He doesn’t have the football speed of Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray, his judgment is questionable, and his accuracy leaves much to be desired." I thought (to my eyes) his accuracy was mostly precise -when he had the time. I believe he'll be a good QB down the road. Unlike Ken Lass I WAS impressed with the kid. Give him a good line and some time and I believe he'll be the best QB the Bears have had in a very long time. Plus, he's only 22 and should improve over time. It was a solid game for the Packers and a TEAM win. We are solid in the division and that's job one. GPG!

15 points
17
2
Coldworld's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:46 am

I’m somewhere in between. When he has time, Fields can throw some lovely balls, but we knew he had a good arm. He seems better when he has a predetermined target or a lot of time. What he isn’t good at it seems to me is handling pressure or passing and decision making on the run. If he can’t use his speed, the mental processing is a question mark if he’s flushed. His speed is an injury waiting to happen. Durability is going to be a big question if that is his instinctual his go to in the event of a breakdown.

Looking at Fields, it could just be inexperience. Awareness and field reading may come with time, but it’s a lottery as to whether it does come in any given QB. There is also the issue of the head scratching decisions. He seems more prone to those than our back up based on this season. Again, part of that is processing, but as Cutler showed, it’s not one that necessarily evaporates.

Which way will Fields go? Will he settle and unlock his talent, will he turn into either a Cutler or RG III type? It’s impossible to know. I am certain if one thing, and that is that his chances of fulfilling his potential would be much greater had he had a season or two to learn behind a true starter. Going to Chicago in the draft and early elevation could be a breaker (again). He looks like I thought he might, a QB who needs development, not a player who screamed early starter. Only time will tell whether you or Ken are closer on his upside.

I will only add that his speed is going to make him take harder hits. Defenders will sell out more to try and stop him out of necessity. We saw that with Douglas, committing before he diagnosed the slide rather than simply trying to get in front of him. He will get yards, but he’s too fast to play soft on.

3 points
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dobber's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:06 am

Agreed.

Jalen Hurts should be a cautionary tale for Chicago, here. Hurts profiles similarly, but he's playing ball by the seat of his pants after almost a year of being the starter. Sitting helps to generate muscle memory for new footwork and arm motions, and helps to engrain progressions and mental approach without weekly reinforcement of bad habits. You can't practice into becoming an outstanding athlete, but you can practice into a really good field general.

"I will only add that his speed is going to make him take harder hits. "

Some guys never seem to take hard hits, though. Randy Moss is a great example...he never seemed to get his clock cleaned. Lamar Jackson never does--for the number of touches he generates--either. Some of it is field vision, some of it is a knack for finding open areas on the field where it's hard for guys to tee off, but those guys are/were both really good at finding the sideline,, too. RGIII was a smaller guy and dynamic athlete who wanted to duck his head and take on defenders...that didn't pan out for him.

3 points
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Coldworld's picture

October 18, 2021 at 12:00 pm

Neither of those were QBs though. While that is a fair point, it’s rather different when one is coming out of the backfield every time.

2 points
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joeblowinski's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:51 am

I agree with you Spock. I was impressed by Fields. I'm betting Bear fans are wetting their pants over what they saw Fields do. They have to be excited. The potential is clearly there to be the best QB the Bears have had in my 67 years. We'll see.

0 points
3
3
Matt Gonzales's picture

October 18, 2021 at 09:42 am

Fields looks like he has the tools to be a good QB. The question to me is whether the Bears can make the most of him. He's not Murray or Jackson, for sure, but he was definitely an upgrade over Dalton and Foles, and his ability to run the option and make plays with his legs pairs well with a strong rushing attack.

The challenge for Chicago is going to be building a team around him. They're short on draft capital and short on young depth to develop, but they do have some cap room moving into next year.

3 points
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murf7777's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:38 am

“ Give him a good line and some time and I believe he'll be the best QB the Bears have had in a very long time. ” Being best of the rest, puts you squarely at average. Not impressed with Fields, just another OSU QB project who won’t be in the NFL as a starter for long. I”m happy they didn’t draft Mac Jones, although, unlike Belichek I’m sure the Bears could find a way to destroy his QB career as well.

3 points
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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

October 19, 2021 at 04:58 am

Fields has tools. Most first round QB have tools.

More than half of being a good to elite QB is between the ears.

2 points
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Coldworld's picture

October 19, 2021 at 08:08 am

So true, and unknowable until after it has been proven.

0 points
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Coldworld's picture

October 19, 2021 at 08:08 am

Duplicate deleted

0 points
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dobber's picture

October 18, 2021 at 07:58 am

I think there's been steady improvement in the front 7--especially the DL--as the season has progressed...that includes the much-maligned Dean Lowry and even Tyler Lancaster drew an important holding call. They've had their best games the last two weeks. Admittedly, they weren't playing against juggernaut OLs, but you give credit for players winning matchups they're supposed to win, too.

Game ball to the depth pieces who stepped up-- Rasul Douglas, Jonathan Garvin, Lucas Patrick--when called on. This could have gone south without those quality snaps.

Mason Crosby? No indication of last week's yips.

Disappointed by Jaylon Smith who looked mostly lost out there. It's early for him, yet, but he has work to do. Get well, Vernon Scott: Henry Black needs to move down the depth chart. He was picked on repeatedly in coverage by a meh passer. A good QB will eat his lunch given the opportunity.

12 points
12
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Guam's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:17 am

For a long time I have had Dean Lowery penciled in as a salary cap cut after this season. He is changing my mind. He has put together two strong games and has been decent in others. Lancaster is still a pass for me, but I like what I am seeing from Slaton and Keke has been okay.

D. Campbell has been a life saver for this defense. I have no idea why this guy was available, but Gute needs to be acknowledged for a great pick up at low cost. Now if Jaylon Smith can learn this defense, the Packers might actually have a pretty good ILB tandem.

10 points
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1
RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:27 am

My question on Lowry. Is he finally in a defense the better suits his talents? Or was it simply going up against guys he matched well against? Lowry really has stepped up the last couple of games. I'm hoping its him improving with the way they are using the DL.

I just saw on twitter that he has 8 pressures the last 2 weeks per PFF. That is a pretty crazy stat honestly.

8 points
8
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Coldworld's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:53 am

It looks to me that there has been a shift in roles for both Clark and Lowry. Lowry seems both to have benefitted directly and from the backwash of Clark being used differently. I also think that the likes of Keke, Lancaster and Slaton have improved, and that this is helping both Clark and Lowry. More informed analysis would be interesting, but Barry seems to me to have made some positive changes?

7 points
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PeteK's picture

October 18, 2021 at 09:19 am

Yes, Clark and Lowry have been able to take some rest snaps because the others provide some solid playing time.

4 points
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jont's picture

October 18, 2021 at 01:13 pm

"It looks to me that there has been a shift in roles for both Clark and Lowry."

This is an insightful comment. I was wondering about this... Kenny lined up at DE more than I remember him doing last year. I have no numbers, but it seems to me that this has changed, and both players are delivering.

5 points
5
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jannes bjornson's picture

October 18, 2021 at 07:36 pm

Lancaster and Slaton fill the NT spot. Let Kenny move from 3 tech to six and create the mis-match and disrupt. Barry 's starting to figure out his players and we will not see any more two-man rushes.

1 points
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greengold's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:42 pm

Thought I saw Keke at NT with Clark at 3-tech too. I’ll have to watch again.

We’re seeing positive changes being implemented, and believe LaFleur has been the guiding force there. Not taking away from Barry, but we’ve seen LaFleur call for adjustments a couple of times already in 6 games. He knows exactly what he wants his defense to look like, I’d imagine. Bright guy who likes to stay current.

LaFleur was also a big part of recruiting Campbell to GB. What a call that’s turning out to be!

GPG

0 points
1
1
flackcatcher's picture

October 19, 2021 at 02:36 pm

Comes down to the extra DL lineman on the roster. The Packers have been pretty light on the DL over the past two years. It was a clear case of GM priorities, moving to shore up the secondary and OLB over the DL. First time the Packers have enough bodies they can rotate in three man packages.

0 points
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packerbackerjim's picture

October 18, 2021 at 07:59 am

Game: Aaron Jones all-around ga e in all aspects—running, check down receiver, and putting a great block on a charging defender.

Lame: Special teams. Again. Gawking instead of tackling, allowing a return when it should have been stopped dead in its tracks.

11 points
12
1
mbpacker's picture

October 18, 2021 at 01:00 pm

We need Mason to be kicking into the end zone, I don't trust our coverage units at all. Not sure if he has the leg to do it consistently especially when the weather turns raw!

3 points
3
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jannes bjornson's picture

October 18, 2021 at 07:39 pm

You can drill it deep or you can squib/drive kicks at them and play for the turnover. LaFleur should just run the sp teams for a week to get the message across as Big Bad Bill did for the Pats.

1 points
1
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Bure9620's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:34 am

Agreed on Fields. He is not as impressive as the other young QBs. Now, I am not going to make sweeping blanket statements about a rookie, as he is still a very young QB. But accuracy issues typically are what they are with upper body issues. Footwork issues can always be fixed and coached. But Fields delivery has a loop in it... He did not blow my mind at all really. I was expecting him to be up and down, with a few "wow throws." He had some open guys and was late or missed a throw. Kind of telling against a secondary that is currently being held together with duct tape.

1 points
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2
Guam's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:09 am

I wasn't a fan of Fields when he was at Ohio State. I thought he was a "one read and run" QB that would not fare well in the NFL. Unlike the author, I was impressed with Fields for much of this game. Yes, he made some rookie mistakes (the interception assuming he had a free play), but his passing accuracy and his ability to move through his progressions looked pretty good. I think the jury is still out but he might be a good QB for the Bears (although he isn't getting any help from the Bear's play calling), and he certainly has more pro QB tools than I thought he did. Maybe the Bears will just ruin him like they have with so many others..........

4 points
5
1
mrtundra's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:29 am

He's a fricking Bear, for Pete's sake! Nagy will ruin him. Just give him time.

8 points
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Razer's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:36 am

So many truths rolled up in so few words. Well said.

3 points
3
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murf7777's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:51 am

Or more accurately the Upper Management, especially the ownership group , they will ruin him as they have for the last 40+ QB’s. Of course, they hire the coaches, who have ruined many QB’s. Some might’ve made it on another Franchise. Fields will be another casualty of a failed system.

0 points
1
1
mnbadger's picture

October 18, 2021 at 12:37 pm

Cubs fans better hope his knees, shoulders, etc hold up until "all the pieces" are in place, or he'll be physically and mentally shot long before his prime. GPG!

2 points
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dobber's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:13 am

It's as much a matter of convincing management that he's the answer as anything else. Pace and Nagy are likely out the door after this season...will a new GM/HC tandem see Fields the same way? The leash is short on young QBs these days.

Wayne and Larry were saying that if you dissect the Bears offense with Fields, he's being asked to mostly play in the pocket by Nagy. They want him to be more Donovan McNabb and less Randall Cunningham. He seemed to run more against the Packers than in his other games, but the question is: was that opportunity or design?

1 points
2
1
Pack88's picture

October 18, 2021 at 03:12 pm

I am in the wait and see mode for Fields! His ability to pass in tight windows or tiny window precision has not evidenced itself yet, he also does not yet demonstrate the most important talent a QB can have- What I call video vision where the whole field can be viewed, analyzed, and processed with a decisive action undertaken based on that analysis. Fields has legit arm talent and great faith in his athletic ability but too often after GB made the obvious adjustments of getting the hapless CB off the- Fields was indecisive and looking for a busted coverage to throw at- rather than a designed route. I do not know if it was poor play design but second or tertiary reads were not apparently utilized with any regularity! I suspect he will improve but today AR was still king.

1 points
1
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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:16 am

Game Balls:

Aaron Jones/Dillon - While Jones didn't put up gaudy numbers, what he does in this offense is so big. The first TD to Lazard. It was the attention that Jones got that allowed Lazard to work underneath. Jones TD reception was so damn good. Makes a man miss and then runs in fairly easily. Though maybe next time just run in vs showing off.
Dillon was so damn good. He is so hard to bring down. Again he didn't put up monstrous numbers, but he has shown that he can pop a big run almost any play. Jones and Dillon form a great duo.

Big Dog - Lewis doesn't get a ton of throws his way. He had 2 thrown at him he caught both for 17 yards. But its what he does after the catch that is impressive. He seeks out the contact and just runs through guys. Seeing the reactions on the sidelines is what I love. He fires up the team!

Clark - Clark is just dominating. The Bears still had a slight chance in the game. Packers up 24-14, Bears were moving the ball. 1st and 10 with 3:39 left with the ball on the 32. Easily in FG range. Clark gets a sack for 12 yards. 2nd and 22 with 3:12 left They gained 7 yards. 3rd and 15 at the 37 with 3:02 left. (in FG range). Clark sacks Fields for a 11 yard loss. The ball started at the 32 on first down he sacked them twice for 23 yards. He looked like #92 out there.

Lame Calls:

Injuries - Myers, Savage, Preston Smith off the top of my head. I haven't heard anything about Myers, but that one scares me honestly. Also If Preston is going to be out a while, that really is going to hurt our front.

Refs - There were bad calls both ways. But taking the TD away from EQ could have been game changing. That was ridiculous. I still believe that Amos had the interception. There was a Terrible spot on I think Dillon's run. Should have been 3rd and short instead they got a first down.

Notes:

It feels like only a matter of time until Amari Rodgers makes a big time impact on offense. He had the one catch, but he really exploded for 14 yards. He also had a pretty nice PR. Keep an eye on him soon.

Jaylon Smith started to play on Defense. While not perfect and it will take some time for him to get going in the defense without thinking, I do believe you will see him being a good fit.

Yiadom was not good. Douglas was! I really liked what I saw from Douglas. He plays physical and definitely was a huge upgrade over Yiadom.

Patrick - While I'm not a huge fan, imagine what our OL would be without him. He comes in and the OL really doesn't miss a beat with him in there. While I hope Myers injury isn't severe (I haven't seen anything about his injury to this point), at least we do have Patrick to fill in.

Do we have a long snapping problem? On an extra point I noticed the snap was high and Bojo had to do a lot of work to get it down. I believe it was the next punt the Bojo had to almost grab the punt off the ground. Some how he got it and boomed it 80+ yards. Unfortunately it rolled into the endzone, but damn was that a good punt. But the fact that he had to take it off the ground is the problem. I am wondering if there will be a new long snapper soon.

Bojo blast is the real deal! Lock him up long term!

8 points
8
0
dobber's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:14 am

"Big Dog - Lewis doesn't get a ton of throws his way. He had 2 thrown at him he caught both for 17 yards. But its what he does after the catch that is impressive. He seeks out the contact and just runs through guys."

With his size, he's going to win most of his battles with safeties and corners, and even some LBs.

3 points
3
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mnbadger's picture

October 18, 2021 at 12:40 pm

Bojo 2024! GPG!

5 points
5
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croatpackfan's picture

October 18, 2021 at 03:07 pm

Packers have LS on the PS. As they contain JJ Molson, the kicker...

0 points
0
0
jannes bjornson's picture

October 18, 2021 at 07:52 pm

Smith will put the QB down while Burks would watch. He should be in the flow in a couple of weeks.

0 points
0
0
Thegreatreynoldo's picture

October 19, 2021 at 05:14 am

Nice point on the snapping. Zack Kruse also noted that there were multiple errant snaps. I think there is a reason GB has a long snapper on the PS.

0 points
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0
Coldworld's picture

October 19, 2021 at 08:11 am

Doesn’t Galeai long snap too?

0 points
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BradHTX's picture

October 19, 2021 at 09:15 am

In a country of 3.3 million people, plus the rest of the world for that matter, it doesn’t seem like it should be that hard to find 32 men who can accurately long snapper a football. But apparently it is.

0 points
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Turophile's picture

October 18, 2021 at 06:21 pm

This was an exciting game. That Bears defensive front is a real test even for an uninjured line, let alone one that started undrafted free agents at LT and C (after Myers was injured early). Also, their hot new QB has a lot of Bears fans very excited at this game.

I have to say I've never liked Patrick much and I'm not a fan of Newman either (though he deserves time to learn). I'm more of a Runyan fan. I will be loving it if, in a few weeks, we can field a line with LT Bakhtiari, LG Jenkins, C Myers, RG Runyan, RT Turner.

Maybe the Packers keep Newman at RG, maybe not, but the job the linemen have done as a unit this year is awesome, plugging in undrafted free agents like Nijman and with three of their best four linemen getting injured (Turner being the exception). they have faced some very tough defenses as well, so maximum credit to the position coaches (Stenavich and Butkus), head coach La Fleur and the players themselves.

Every week (after week 1) has been a game ball for this unit, imo.

Lots of exciting development too, ILB's Campbell and Barnes are just so much better than what we have had in the past, Lowry has flashed this year (never thought I'd say that, but he deserves praise) and Clark shows why he is one of the best DT/NTs in the league, a veritable keg of power. I was on the fence with draft pick Stokes, neither liked or disliked him at draft time, but he is looking like a good pick as the weeks go by (and a very valuable guy with Alexander and King out).

I wondered if the Packers had made a mistake keeping TE Marcedes Lewis another year (16 years in the league and 37 years old) - hah ha (more fool me, for doubting).

Refs were spotty in their calls again, some of the lame calls definitely went their way. I'm not saying they were biased or anything, just not very good.

When Preston Smith (and just possibly Z.Smith), David Bakhtiari, Myers, Alexander and King come back, this team has the potential to beat anyone. There will inevitably be more injuries, I just hope not too many of them are to key players.

Oh, and lest we forget, that punt from Bojorquez that flew waaay over the head of the Bears returner and bounced into the endzone was next-level, Superman stuff.

As for the criticism of Fields, it's just way too early to know what the Bears have in him. I quite like him, but he needs until next year at least to mature and understand what is going on, on the field.

2 points
3
1
Guam's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:27 am

Jenkins was back at LT for the Bears game. UDFA LT Nijman only played special teams snaps I believe.

Newman is good when he gets the play right (rarely gets beaten physically), but too often he makes the wrong read. The announcers showed one play where he slid left and the rest of the O-line slid right creating a hole Hicks blew through to sack Rodgers. That were a few others like that where he just made errant reads and got beaten. If he learns from his mistakes and eliminates the mental errors, he should be fine.

6 points
6
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Turophile's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:32 am

Yeah, I was talking about the line in a more general way (rather than just this week) but I take your point - thanks for clarifying.

3 points
3
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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

October 19, 2021 at 05:20 am

Newman looks like he will belong in the NFL. He might benefit from getting his feet wet as a rookie but mostly getting a year to learn from Steno like Runyan got. I firmly believe Runyan played himself out of a starting role last year as opponents saw his film and exploited his issues.

I'd like to see Nijman at RT if we get a chance to try him there in a blowout. Nijman is an RFA next year, so some decisions have to be made. [Looking forward a little here to 2022.]

1 points
1
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croatpackfan's picture

October 18, 2021 at 03:12 pm

..."let alone one that started undrafted free agents at LT and C (after Myers was injured early)."...

Later I read that you were already corrected. Sorry for the post...

1 points
1
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egbertsouse's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:27 am

I thought I might get through an entire CHTV article without whining about the refs. But no, it’s obligatory I guess. You have to play to your whiny readership.

-18 points
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18
Turophile's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:36 am

When something looks like sh*t, smells like sh*t and feels like sh*t, why would you call it a scented sachet ?

8 points
8
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Coldworld's picture

October 18, 2021 at 12:02 pm

There were some highly questionable calls. I agree with others that this wasn’t one sided particularly, but it was bad enough to detract from the game. The Bears blogs are adamant the officials robbed them. I’d say legitimately dubious calls on big plays impacted both teams. That’s not good enough. I see no reason not to call out the league for sub par officiating. That is what I believe we saw yesterday.

6 points
6
0
croatpackfan's picture

October 18, 2021 at 03:16 pm

Only game I have complaining on refs where vs SF. That was very one sided calls to help SF. I do not know why it happened, but it was.

In every game you can find at least few "intersting" calls, but when you put it in perspective, there were mistakes on the both side of the ball...

0 points
0
0
BradHTX's picture

October 19, 2021 at 09:23 am

Is a comment whining about comments whining about the refs less whiny than the whiny comments about the refs?

1 points
1
0
pacman's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:42 am

Where was Cobbs? Just a decoy to go to Lazard? Good idea!

I did think that with Bears 2ndary, we might put up bigger numbers. Sort of happy they stuck with the run game though.

At the moment, 2 tough teams coming up - Ariz and LA. Even if we lose those we go 14-3. Same old, same old :) SB or bust but we have to get healthier to get there.

1 points
1
0
mnbadger's picture

October 18, 2021 at 12:43 pm

Don't forget about Washington football team, with that defense and our special teams, anything could happen. See New Orleans. GPG!

5 points
5
0
jannes bjornson's picture

October 18, 2021 at 07:58 pm

Ron Rivera is a solid coach and man.

2 points
2
0
Thegreatreynoldo's picture

October 19, 2021 at 05:24 am

I guess the Diva won't force the ball to Cobb (thereby retarding Amari's development) just to justify forcing Gute to acquire Cobb.

0 points
0
0
mrtundra's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:48 am

Game Balls: Our piecemeal O Line. I am amazed how well they play together with so many movable parts. Elgton's first game back, and while a tad rusty, he did okay. Runyon is a great player at LG. Myers was okay and Patrick filled in for him, nicely, when Myers went down. Newman and Turner pretty much held their own on the right side. Overall, a nice effort by all against a solid Bears' Defensive front. I knew both Hicks and Mack would play, despite Nagy's attempts at confusing the Packers with their playing status. Our O Line gave Jones and Dillon some nice holes to run through. Aaron Rodgers is the man. Period. Davante was spectacular, again. Nice to see Lazard, Big Dog, and Amari Rodgers in the fray, too! Garvin playing like a seasoned pro! Kenny Clark, summoning the spirit of Reggie White, to sack Fields, twice, late.

Lame calls: Officials screwing ESB out of a TD and screwing Amos out of an INT. Both were bad calls, IMO. Hill getting a 15 yard penalty late in the game when the Bears were getting hot. We don't need those kind of rookie mistakes when the game is on the line. Hardly had a Cobb sighting, all game long. Our red zone defense needs work. Our ST's on returns needs work, too. Injuries are piling up. Hoping Savage is okay, as well as Myers and Preston. Hoping Jaire and Bakh are coming back, soon. Tonyan didn't have a good day.

2 points
2
0
Razer's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:32 am

Unfortunately, I was travelling in Canada's north and couldn't catch the game BUT I did follow it via Tom Silverstein's blog. Some game detail fidelity was lost. I can't help but think that getting solid D-line play - pressure and all - is the help that our secondary needs. We had a lot of 2nd and 3rd string fill-ins but it sounds like our D-line made Fields play faster than he could. Memo to Gutekunst - invest in the D-line and linebackers - the defense will get better.

Sounds like Rodgers spread the ball around. That is a good thing. This offense could be the best in the league with all the pieces in play - use them. I am sure that once the O-line gets healthy, the heads on this monster will grow. Rodgers putting the game away in the 4th tells me that the Packers are Rodgers. Fields couldn't do it (yet). I don't know if this team can stand with the better teams in the league but without Rodgers we would have trouble standing with the average teams. I don't like the sound of 'last dance'.

4 points
5
1
Coldworld's picture

October 18, 2021 at 09:09 am

Lost in this victory again is the fact that our ST coverage units were terrible again, and consistently so. This is going to hurt us at some point and it is simply not good enough. It is past time for LaFleur to stop continuing to accept us being the worst ST coverage and return blocking team every week and past time where Drayton has excuses.

If Crosby can’t kick it out of the end zone then perhaps our PS kicker can or Bojo. If it is a coaching decision primarily, then change it! That is step one. Step 2 is to actually show competence. On returns, teams are kicking short again, believing there is a chance if tilting the game. That is a damning indictment of Drayton.

7 points
7
0
Since'61's picture

October 18, 2021 at 09:48 am

Game Balls: I agree with the author's choices for game balls. patchwork OL was effective yet again. Loved Rodgers telling Bear fans "I still own you!" after his Td run. Also his block on a Bears DL trying to help Jones on a busted run play. Rodgers is all in and that's a good thing. I would Rashon Gary to the game balls. He is often overlooked but he has consistently brought pressure on the opposing QB every week since the opening loss to the Saints. He doesn't have many sacks at this point but he is harassing the QB and it has an impact. Gary was the highest ranked Packer defender for the game with a PFF score of 87.4. I'll also add a game ball for the entire defensive effort. Holding any opponent to 14 points on the road in this era of the NFL is still a nice accomplishment and with our offense should almost always guarantee a win for the Pack.

Lame Calls: ESB was robbed of a TD and Hill made a bad play on the head slap. Hill needs to coached up on situational football.

All in all a very good win for the Packers. Hopefully our injuries are not too serious. Savage was reported as a possible concussion. If that's accurate he could make it through the protocol in time for the WFT game. Myers was reported as a knee injury. We'll just. need to wait and see. At the least it would be good to get Bak, King, and MVS back over the next week or two. GPG! Thanks, Since '61

4 points
5
1
Fabio's picture

October 18, 2021 at 11:37 am

I have doubts about Gary Since '61.
He seems to me one of those players who are always close to performing at their best, but never succeed.
For what he had to be, it seems to me that he is just a good player and nothing more, but he had to have a very different impact for the choice that cost us.
I always follow you with pleasure.
Greetings from Italy
GPG

0 points
3
3
greengold's picture

October 18, 2021 at 09:44 am

Game ball has got to go to Matt LaFleur. He had his players who were healthy ready for this game. I found it very impressive, with the key losses to injury. The shovel pass to Lazard play design was the cherry on top.

Jaylon Smith had his first practice 1 week ago. See a lot of people commenting on him, but, seriously... let's give the player a fair shot and a handful of games to show what he can do within this new Joe Barry D.

I have ZERO concerns with Jaylon Smith, especially knowing Joe Barry has a very sound LB coaching resume. Do not be fooled by his minuscule 17 snap window. This guy has numbers to back up his play that are better than Campbell's, and completely blow away Barnes'. The guy brings very, very high talents to the Packers at ILB.

How about Jonathan Garvin? Man, I love how he's coming on... in time, maybe we see more consistency, week in and week out.

7 points
8
1
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:53 am

All good points GG!

1 points
2
1
jannes bjornson's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:04 pm

Garvin always stood out in the Miami bling defense.

2 points
2
0
Thegreatreynoldo's picture

October 19, 2021 at 05:33 am

I agree completely.

Barnes got a lot of love last year even though he was pretty bad. He was only one step up from Kirksey, who himself played better when moved to will.

0 points
0
0
jhtobias's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:10 am

How can anyone be ripping the defense on this comment section ?

Go ahead and take khalil mack , robert quinn, thier top two corner backs top safety away, and tell me how they would play.

Some of you trolls will never be happy . Yes you are trolls regardless of how long you have followed the packers making stupid uneducated comments like this. Grow Up and give Berry credit

2 points
5
3
Since'61's picture

October 18, 2021 at 11:21 am

jhtobias - I have read the entire thread and I haven't seen any comments ripping the defense. I'm not sure what you are referring to. Thanks, Since '61

6 points
6
0
White92's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:35 pm

I'm one of Barry's biggest critics and couldn't be happier to be wrong. Remember, it was the Bears offense with a rookie QB, a third string RB, and a porous offensive line, so I wouldn't get overly excited just yet. I do give him credit for what he has done with what he's got.

-1 points
0
1
jimtalkbox's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:21 am

Dillon running over the Bears to finish off the game is SO SATISFYING. Inject it into my VEINS.

9 points
9
0
jannes bjornson's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:10 pm

DBL TE stack, a Fullback and Dillon to destroy the fourth quarter defense as we move into the snow belt, then we have a chance to dominate and move forward to a SB. When the D is in triage mode, give them rest and crush your opponent--old school style.

2 points
2
0
HarryHodag's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:49 am

Matt Nagy is as bad as most fans think in Chicago.

He put together a stupid game plan against the Packers.

Example 1: The Bears are having success running the ball(no surprise to Packers fans), then almost completely forgets about it when they were only down a touchdown.

Example 2: After forgetting the run, he puts Shields into a position to throw deep a lot.

So your rookie QB can get the feel of the game, run much and throw on occasion. Fields could be good throwing quick short passes. Kmet is a decent tight end. All out the window.

Oh, well, tough for the Bears. Hopefully the Packers keep the winning streak going. After Washington they have a brutal stretch coming up before a very late bye week.

1 points
1
0
croatpackfan's picture

October 19, 2021 at 03:59 am

"Example 2: After forgetting the run, he puts Shields into a position to throw deep a lot."

Sorry what position played Shields for Bears yesterday?

-1 points
0
1
murf7777's picture

October 18, 2021 at 10:57 am

Credit to Joe Barry as he has put a bandaid on this rag tag group of defenders while getting them to play above average. Is it scheme or motivating them to a higher level? Probably a bit of both. Kudo’s to you Joe, keep doing a good job.

7 points
7
0
4thand1's picture

October 18, 2021 at 11:17 am

How about a lame non call? A Jones almost got his head ripped off by Jackson on a tackle going around the left side. He clearly had Jones's helmet/facemask in clear view of the back judge,WTF.

4 points
5
1
Since'61's picture

October 18, 2021 at 11:26 am

4th and 1, I saw that play as well. The officiating starts off bad and just gets worse and worse from there. I have no idea what they are watching or what type of calls they are making. but the player safety related calls seem to have gone out the window and there is absolutely no consistentency from game to game around the league or even within the same game. It's very frustrating and is increasingly making the games unwatchable.

Terrible job by the league. Thanks, Since '61

2 points
2
0
Fabio's picture

October 18, 2021 at 11:27 am

I love this team and its resilience.
I see so many coming forward, Kenny K, Lowry, Garvin, O line, LB, CB, but I still can't see Gary for the dominant player he was supposed to be (and he doesn't have double covers) .....
I hope he will come forward in the end too
I love AR
Greetings from Italy
GPG

0 points
1
1
Irish_Cheesehead's picture

October 18, 2021 at 11:50 am

We can only hope Justin Fields is the next Jay Cutler/Mitch Trubisky, but with the Bears track record with QBs there is a good chance!

2 points
2
0
Philarod's picture

October 18, 2021 at 12:44 pm

I agree with Ken's analysis (almost all of it) and it's hard to limit my picks off this very good win at Soldier Field.

My impression of Fields: it's much too early to tell, but I agree with another fan: I wasn't wowed by anything I saw him. Kenny Clark played a great game, and he's quite athletic for his size, but would he be able to sack a Kyler Murray or even a Jalen Hurts (let alone a Jackson or a Wilson) twice out of the pocket? It may be that Fields is trying to process a lot right now, and not "playing fast", but still.

Game Balls: Clark for the D. And while many contributed to the offense playing a good game. The O-line hung in there and played very well in the run game, AJ/AJ was dynamic, play-calling was good the last few quarters, and more guys got involved, but still, #12 makes it all go. Too much is being made of his "I won you..." comment. Most importantly, he didn't get discouraged by the early sacks, had a couple good runs, threw a block, essentially threw three TDs (the OPI call on ESB was hideous) and ran one in - all with a banged-up line, no real deep threat (Davante can get over the top occasionally) against a very good D.

Lame: I'm tired of constantly berating officials, but... here we are again. At least, I won't put Coach Barry in this category, or Kevin King for that matter. Special Teams? Well, we still need better play, if not dominance...just hold your own every game.

0 points
1
1
jont's picture

October 18, 2021 at 01:39 pm

Maybe I'm making too much of one play, but game after game we see officiating problems. I am not talking about missed or bad calls-- this happens-- but straight up poor quality work.
On EQ's OPI, maybe it was maybe it wasn't, but the officials missed an illegal contact call at the five, called it incomplete (thought it wasn't even close) so Nagy declines the penalty, Crosby comes out, then they change it to complete without announcing it so Nagy has to grab the Line Judge to stop play so he can go back and accept the penalty.
Just sloppy.

2 points
2
0
greengold's picture

October 18, 2021 at 09:10 pm

Agree, jont & Since…

Really, these guys have looked more like a bunch of hacks as opposed to professionals. Officiating has been a problem since the replacement refs, really. Sloppy is a great descriptor.

2 points
2
0
Coldworld's picture

October 19, 2021 at 08:20 am

Whether it’s the Packers or a neutral game, I want to come out with the feeling that the players decided it, not the officials. Too often that is not the case. The NFL is a super wealthy organization that is loathe to invest adequately in its officiating. To me, that’s a core aspect of product quality and thus a fundamentally flawed approach. There will always be errors, but the lack of will to minimize them is as shortsighted as it is obvious.

0 points
0
0
Buckywunder's picture

October 18, 2021 at 08:08 pm

Have said this here a few times already:

Justin Fields is going to wash out. Not worried about him or the Bears…

1 points
1
0
MarkinMadison's picture

October 18, 2021 at 09:36 pm

Game Balls - Clark, Garvin, Jones, Bojorquez (picking it up off the floor and kicking it over the returner, that is talent)

Lame - Injuries

Fields - I thought he had a lot of good throws, and good instincts about when to run. Give him a year or two. He could be a problem, if the Bears draft an offensive line.

0 points
0
0
LayingTheLawe's picture

October 18, 2021 at 11:01 pm

Dean Lowry suddenly making some plays in his 6th year can only point to the coaching changes. He didn't just "figure it out" after 5 seasons. So hopefully they similarly figure out how to use other dudes like King, J Smith, Douglas and they might really have something.

The red zone D thing sort of mystifies me in terms of why it causes so much hand wringing. Over the 5 game winning steak the team has given up less than 20 points per game, so who cares how the points arrived. I think all this "Packers give up the TD in the red zone every time" stats are ignoring that teams are only getting into the red zone like twice per game against the Packers. Never looked it up but I bet that's really good.

The offense still has some stuff to sort out but I am waiting til Bakhtiari is back and the offensive line settles down and we see what happens. Maybe those three times per game "lookout" block drivekillers will stop and the numbers improve even more.

2 points
2
0
Fubared's picture

October 19, 2021 at 09:00 am

One could give kudos to the staff for patching things up, but the fact is this team starting patching in game one. It’s never ending. King would not be an issue if they would have cut him, problem solved.
They created a lot of this mess drafting injury prone guys, keeping smaller framed guys in some positions and asking slow of foot people to chase down kick returners.
This team in a way deserves itself.
Last year the smiths looked gased by the end of the season but they well to the well too many times, not both are no use and it’s game 6.

0 points
0
0