The Green Bay Packers added another tick in the win column against the rival Chicago Bears on a frigid Sunday mid-afternoon.
In what was the 211th matchup with the two iconic franchises, Green Bay walked away with a 28-21 win, thanks in part to a game-sealing interception by Cornerback Keisean Nixon.
The defense had a phenomenal first half, holding the potent Bears offense to only 71 total yards, including 32 yards through the air for Caleb Williams. But the second half was a flipping of the script. The Chicago offense came alive, and outscored the Packers 18-14, but came up just short of a game-tying drive.
As for what changed, D-Lineman Colby Wooden tells SeehaferNews.com that the Bears adjusted how they were approaching the pass game.
“They just started moving the pocket, getting (Williams) out of the pocket,” he explained. “They knew they couldn’t let him stand back there, cuz we were gonna go get him.”
The temperature at kick-off was a chilly 16 degrees, but Wooden said this is exactly what they play for.
“It’s playoff time. Who cares? It’s cold, but that’s in the mindset,” he explained. “It’s great football weather. It’s great playoff weather. I wouldn’t want it no other way.”
Offensively, Jordan Love threw for 234 yards on 17 completions, four of which went to Jayden Reed in his return to the field.
One of those was on a key third down late in the game, which led to the Packers’ go-ahead touchdown.
Christian Watson was the beneficiary of two touchdown passes, Bo Melton caught a third, and Josh Jacobs powered his way in for the final score.
The strength of the Packers’ run game, which accounted for 117 yards on the day, came on runs inside the tackles.
Sean Rhyan, Aaron Banks, and Anthony Belton had a great day moving the Bears’ d-linemen, with the rookie right guard Belton calling the o-line the “all stars up front.”
“Anytime you can establish the run game, you know it’s going to be a good game,” he explained. “It’s big on us to be consistent with our double teams, coming off on the second level, just getting movement. Movement is going to generate those open holes and long runs.”
While the offense had a few three-and-outs and an ugly interception early by Jordan Love, Banks said it’s all about having a short memory.
“We just kept going,” he said. “Next play mentality. Next drive mentality. Just keep rolling, and having each other’s back whenever anything bad happened.”
While the magnitude of the matchup was obvious to everyone on the team, Rhyan said they had to approach the game with the mindset of “keeping the main thing the main thing.”
“We knew it was going to be a four-quarter fistfight,” he said. “We knew it was a North opponent, and we knew that this was an important one, but we were trying to keep it what it was. Another football game.”
We also spoke with D-Lineman Aaron Mosby, who was getting snaps on defense last year, but has since been earning his keep on special teams, specifically on kickoff.
He has made some big hits several times this year, and his mindset is all about making the most of what opportunities are given.
“Coming from last year, where I had a lot of reps on defense, to coming into this year, just accepting your role and trying to make an impact on the game,” he explained. “I feel like our kickoff team is starting to find a little swagger. We are trying to go out there and cause a little hectic, cause a little violence, but at the end of the day we are just having fun and trying to set the tone for the defense.”
With the win, the Packers improve to 9-3-1 and surpass the Bears for the top spot in the NFC North.
With four weeks left in the regular season, the Packers will hit the road to battle the 11-2 Denver Broncos, who are coming off a 24-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kick off next Sunday in Denver will be at 3:25 p.m.
