NFL: Packers 21, Bears 15

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Tale of Two Games.

Well, actually more like three.

There was the first half, dominated by the Packers defense. The Packers gave up a safety and forced three Jay Cutler interceptions that led to two easy scores for the offense, ending the half up 10-2.

Then there was the first 20 minutes of the second half, dominated by the Bears. They scored 10 points and kept the Packers from generating anything on offense.

Then one of the strangest plays I have seen in the four decades I have been watching this storied rivalry took place.

The Bears were facing a 4th-and-11 from their own 25, the long snapper thought the Bears could get a free play because Clay Matthews was still on the field. However, the upback did not see him signal the direct snap, and while he caught the ball, he was easily stopped after a short gain of five.

Lovie  Smith challenged the play to see if Matthews had gotten off, but he had—this only left the Bears with one fewer timeout and no remaining challenges. More than that, it gave the Packers an easy field goal to regain the lead and the momentum.

The Bears were able to drive late thanks in part to a horrible call on Al Harris for illegal contact. As best as Cris Collinsworth was able to ascertain, the officials thought it was beyond five yards only because Devin Hester was a yard behind the line of scrimmage, which should have been a call on him for illegal formation.

(And may I say what a pleasure it was having a color commentator who can actually analyze the game instead of talking about linemen's sweat stains! Collinsworth also noted how Cutler's receivers were not completing routes and how that led to a missed touchdown the play before Johnny Jolly's artistic interception.)

Instead, the Bears got the go-ahead score with under three minutes to go. The Packers and their fans were left to worry about losing their eighth game by less than five points with Aaron Rodgers under center.

But Rodgers and company pulled it out with a 50-yard bomb to Greg Jennings with under two minutes to play, and Cutler's fourth interception on the ensuing possession, sealed a 21-15 win for the Pack.

Here are my unit-by-unit grades for Green Bay:

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