Those who thought the Packers would blow out the Bears today in Chicago were mistaken. The Bears came out strong and went toe-to-toe with the Packers.
But in the end, Aaron Rodgers was too much for Chicago’s defense, and Green Bay won 31-23.
Rodgers finished the game 18-for-23 for 189 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He easily out-played Jay Cutler, who was inaccurate for most of the game and threw away the Bears’ last, best chance when he had back-to-back overthrows in the end zone on third-and-goal and fourth-and-goal.
That’s not to say the Bears’ offense couldn’t do anything. Matt Forte had an outstanding day, rushing for 141 yards, and Forte’s second-quarter touchdown gave Chicago a 10-7 lead. A Robbie Gould field goal gave the Bears a 13-10 halftime lead, and even at the start of the fourth quarter it was a close game, 17-16 Packers.
Rodgers, however, engineered two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, and when the Bears finally scored again, it was with just 34 seconds left. The Packers recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.
Green Bay entered this game as the favorite in the NFC North, and Green Bay remains the favorite in the NFC North. But the Bears showed something as well. They may be more competitive in the division than most people think.