The Green Bay Packers are back on top of the NFC North after a gritty win against the Chicago Bears. In what was a mostly positive overall day by the entire team, the coaching staff deserves credit for earning a tough divisional victory. In the leadup to the game, I highlighted three keys to the game for Green Bay to emerge victorious. Let’s assess how the Packers performed on those fronts.
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#1 – Squash Chicago’s 2nd-Ranked Rushing Offense
“Last week, Chicago running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai averaged over 6.3 yards per tote against a talented Philadelphia Eagles defense. Allowing anything close to this level of success will likely spell doom for the Packers.”
The Green Bay Packers did a fine job on the ground against Chicago’s potent running game. Bears head coach Ben Johnson is notorious for always having a dynamic rushing attack. Swift and Monangai combined for 120 yards after piling up 225 the previous week against Philadelphia. Although the team averaged 5 yards per carry entering the day, they were limited to just 4.3.
Defensively, Green Bay still is missing Lukas Van Ness but had Karl Brooks back to reinforce the interior line. Brooks had 3 tackles on the afternoon, one of which was a tackle for loss.
More importantly, the greatest thing Green Bay did to neuter the Chicago rushing attack was play with the lead. The Pack never trailed on the afternoon, even after an ugly start on offense. Playing from behind meant that Chicago was forced to drop back to pass much more than usual. QB Caleb Williams threw 35 passes and only completed 19 of them.
#2 – Aggressive Secondary Play
“’Stop the Run’ should be any team’s primary goal against Chicago, but limiting yards after catch and turning the Bears offense into a one-dimensional unit will involve leaning into more aggressive tendencies against Williams and the passing game.”
This was very evident throughout the game. Packers linebackers and defensive backs were constantly knocking Bears receivers off their routes. While the war in the trenches was a back-and-forth battle, the physicality on the outside was dominated by Green Bay.
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Without Rome Odunze, Chicago’s best wide receiver, the Bears needed DJ Moore and Luther Burden III to step up in a big way. Burden ended the game with 4 catches for 67 yards, while Moore was held to 1 catch that went for -4 yards. Their inability to win down the field was thanks to aggression from the overall defensive scheme but also from individual players like Evan Williams and Keisean Nixon.
Aggressive secondary play also manifested itself in exotic coverages. While Chicago ultimately went 8-16 on 3rd down, they were 0-3 in the first quarter, unable to find answers against Jeff Hafley’s nontraditional looks. The smothering start on defense allowed Green Bay time to find their rhythm on offense and take the lead in the second quarter. As previously mentioned, this helped keep Chicago’s ground game in check.
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Safe to say the Packers secondary had a strong game, holding Chicago to 5.3 yards per passing attempt (the 6th-worst mark by a team on the weekend) and finishing off the win with an endzone interception that gave Green Bay the victory.
#3 – Win the Turnover Battle
“Chicago is #1 in the NFL in average turnover margin per game at +1.4, thanks to an offense with only 9 turnovers on the year and an aggressive defense that has forced 26 turnovers through 12 games. Chicago is 1-3 in games where they do not win the turnover battle.”
Chicago is now 1-4 when they do not win the turnover battle. While Green Bay didn’t come up with a takeaway until the final seconds of the game, they ended 1-1 in the turnover category. Nixon’s game-clinching interception was the final act of the tense game.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Importantly, Jordan Love’s horrific interception in the first quarter went unpunished. After the Bears picked up the ball in field goal range, they then went 3-and-out, losing 5 yards in the process, and were forced to punt,
Green Bay’s defense continues to be the leading reason for the team’s success. Making life tough for one of the league’s better offenses was a combination of good defensive scheme and also individual players rising to the occasion and making plays when necessary.
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