Bears Fall to Packers: Same Cutler, Same Defense, Same Result
Sep 28, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) makes an interception during the second half at Soldier Field. The Green Bay Packers defeats the Chicago Bears 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
So much for “the tide turning” in the NFC North. Reports of the Packers’ demise have been greatly exaggerated. Speaking of greatly exaggerated, so has the improvement of Jay Cutler or the rebuilt defense, both of which failed during the Bears’ 38-17 loss to the Packers. After a couple of road wins in prime time, the Bears and their fans were feeling pretty good about themselves. That was all washed away about midway through the third quarter as the Packers pulled away from the Bears to even their record to 2-2 and drop the Beloved to 0-2 at home this season.
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It all started off so promising. Cutler and the Bears marched down the field on the opening drive of the game with a 15-play, 80 yard drive that took 8:30 off the clock. Matt Forte and Ka’Deem Carey were picking up chunks of yardage on each rushing attempt. Martellus Bennett and Alshon Jeffery were getting involved. Brandon Marshall with the touchdown. A nice, sustained drive to keep Rodgers (and the pathetic Bears defense) off the field.
It’s didn’t take much for the Packers to respond. They turned around and torched the Bears with a 6-play 81-yard drive that took less than two and a half minutes. It was starting to feel like whoever had the ball last was going to win the game. The Bears and Packers traded blows like a couple of heavyweight fighters. If not for a blown booth review, the Bears would have gone into the halftime locker room with a lead. Even with the bad call, the Bears were hanging right with the Packers.
Jay Cutler finished the first half with a 127.7 passer rating. That’s phenomenal, right? The thing is, Rodgers had a 150.1 rating. He carved up the Bears defense as if they weren’t even there.
The second half turned into a nightmare for the Bears. After holding the Packers to an opening drive field goal, same old Jay showed up. Cutler tried to force feed a pass into traffic that was tipped high into the air and Clay Matthews came down with it. Naturally, the Packers scored a touchdown on the next drive against the same old Bears defense to start opening up the lead.
“We don’t need luck; Jay will throw us the ball.’’
On the next series, Cutler went all Cutler again when he and Brandon Marshall weren’t on the same page. Marshall ran a go and Cutler threw a curl and it doesn’t get any easier for Sam Shields to cash in on another Cutler miscue. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Packers went down to score another touchdown and the rest, as they say, is history.
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