Packers beat Bears, clinch playoff berth for the first time in three seasons
The Packers and Bears met for the 200th time on Sunday, in the 100 year history of the NFL, no two rival teams have ever met as many times. This chapter was a very competitive one, coming down to the literal final second. Aaron Rodgers did well enough in the game, going 16/33 (48.4%, his lowest completion percentage since 2015), for 203 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 78.4 passer rating. He wasn’t spectacular, but he didn’t have to be. The defense showed up as well, intercepting Mitch Trubisky a total of two times in the game. The Packers came out of it with a win 21-13. They now hold a 99-95-6 record in the rivalry and will finish the decade with a 17-4 overall record against them. One more win for them and they’ll reach 100 overall wins in the rivalry which is very impressive.
The defense as a whole played well. They had very solid tackling and pursuit to the ball. Both Dean Lowry and Jaire Alexander had the only two turnovers in the game for Green Bay; both of which were momentum-shifting interceptions. Jaire’s was more of a coverage interception while Lowry simply just grabbed it out of mid-air when Trubisky threw it. Both plays changed the complexion of the game as a whole in favor of Green Bay.
The offense played well enough too. Although Rodgers only completed 48% of his passes, his receivers came up with the ball a majority of the time — mostly in crucial situations. Davante Adams had 7 catches for 103 yards and 1 touchdown while Jake Kumerow had 1 reception for 49 yards — of which he ended up juking former Packer Haha Clinton-Dix out of his cleats which made the play all the more sweeter. RB Aaron Jones continued to find the endzone, extending his touchdown number to 17 with two total touchdowns in the game along with 51 yards rushing. Jones only needs 170 yards to get to 1000 on the year; it’s looking likely he may reach that plateau with two games left to play.
Overall, this game was another classic chapter in the greatest rivalry in NFL history. It was a definite NFC North black and blue battle. Both teams fought hard but in the end, Green Bay came out on top — albeit in yet another unconventional game. Hey, if unconventional and ugly translates to wins, which they have for Green Bay this far, just ride along and let them happen. Rodgers said it himself: “I wouldn’t mind winning ugly all the way to the Super Bowl.” If that’s what it’s going to take then so be it. Wins are hard to come by in this league so take them as they come and in whatever way possible. This win also marks the first time in the over 100 year history of the Packers franchise that head coach Matt LaFleur has gotten Green Bay to the postseason in his first season. Quite an accomplishment thus far for him. This team has much bigger goals to attain though.
Aaron Rodgers spoke about these goals and more during his press conference after the game on Sunday: “I love being 11-3 and I think the performance was a little up and down but I thought we did some really good things. We just have to be a little more opportunistic when we have opportunities [in games]. I don’t know if we have the full respect of the entire league at this point based on some of our performances where we got beat by a couple of scores and the reaction to those situations but we’re 7-1 at home, we have an inside track at the 2-seed, obviously, we have an opportunity to wrap up the division next week which guarantees a home game and the third seed at worst. I like our chances, I like our football team.”
For the first time in three seasons, postseason football will be played in Green Bay. It’s a very good feeling, especially after having to deal with back-to-back abysmal seasons in 2017 and 2018. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air for fans and media alike. The postseason is simply better when the Packers are playing in it. January football at Lambeau Field is going to be hard for any team to come and compete in — let alone win. Rodgers spoke about the opportunity with Fox Sports’ Pam Oliver: “We’re 11-3, we control our own destiny for a playoff bye and I don’t think many teams want to come here and play us in this weather, [with] this field [and] this crowd. I feel good about our chances.” Rodgers is right. Green Bay’s three falters are all in the past. This team is winning now, that’s all that matters. It’s about when you get hot, not how. A marathon, not a sprint. Time to finish these final two weeks off on a winning note.
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