Entering Week 6 without five starters and generally banged up on both sides of the ball, the Packers came through with one of their more impressive road wins on Sunday, stonewalling the Bears' attempt at a share of the NFC North lead.
Their fifth consecutive win over the Bears was predictably more difficult than other recent meetings - but it concluded with an exclamation point: on the heels of his third touchdown of the day, Aaron Rodgers, somewhat uncharacteristically, repeatedly shouted the line "I own you!" at Bears fans sitting in the corner of the end zone.
As hurtful as those words may have felt to Bears fans, the Packers' win comes with some pain of their own. Already without several key personnel, three starters - LB Preston Smith, C Josh Myers and S Darnell Savage - left the game early. Green Bay's depth prevailed, however, granting Matt LaFleur his 13th victory in 14 games against NFC North teams as Packers head coach.
On Offense
Like it or not, Rodgers' more outspoken behavior matches his performance through six weeks. Against the Bears' defense - a unit that LaFleur described as the best they've faced through six weeks - Rodgers was efficient, accounting for three total scores and turning in a QB rating of 128.0.
The numbers don't tell the full story, though. Rodgers was constantly under pressure, afforded little time to find targets downfield and having to regularly squeeze passes into tight windows. He also did a better job distributing passes to Green Bay's many offensive weapons and weaning prior reliance on Davante Adams. Despite the disappearance of Randall Cobb in the passing game, it was pleasant to see third-year receiver Allen Lazard more involved.
But, what was most impressive on the offensive side of the ball was the running game. Even after Myers was lost early in the game and Green Bay struggled to establish the ground game, LaFleur maintained commitment, eventually giving way to 135 yards of production across Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. More importantly, it sustained a crucial balance between run and pass that kept the Chicago defense honest for all four quarters.
On Defense
Given the circumstances, Joe Barry's defense put together a strong performance in Chicago, even against the Bears' bottom-third offense.
However, it didn't start pretty: just as they did in each of the past two weeks, the defense allowed an early touchdown, this time by what was always going to be a run-heavy game plan by Bears O-coordinator Bill Lazor. Inside the red zone, the Packers continued to struggle, allowing touchdowns in both of the Bears' trips inside the 20.
Aided by a growing lead during the second half, the defense was finally able to adjust. The front seven tightened up against rookie RB Khalil Herbert and also began to generate pressure on Fields without blitzing. During the Bears' final offensive drive of the game, nose tackle Kenny Clark put the defense on his shoulders, coming up with two crucial sacks that pushed the Bears out of field goal range.
What continues to be worrisome, though, is the situation at cornerback, where the Packers' depth is about as scary as advertised. After starters Jaire Alexander and Kevin King is a mix of inexperience and pedestrian talent, a combination that could be disastrous against the elite quarterbacks that Green Bay will face in the coming weeks: Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes and, contingent on his injury status, Russell Wilson.
With two games over the next 11 days, the Packers will need to get healthy fast.
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