Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers: Green Bay Grades, Notes and Quotes
On a night when Brett Favre and Bart Starr came together at Lambeau Field for a special moment, the Chicago Bears crashed the party and pulled off a 17-13 upset over the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving.
The Packers (7-4, 4-2 home) lost their fourth game in the last five weeks and could potentially fall back in the NFC North standings if the Minnesota Vikings win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The loss dimly overshadows what was a monumental evening in Green Bay. Favre's No. 4 jersey was officially retired by his former team with an on-field halftime ceremony that featured an appearance by Packers legend Bart Starr.
The only thing missing from Thursday's festivities was a Packers W led by another great franchise quarterback.
The Bears (5-6, 4-2 away), though, had other plans. The Chicago defense shut down Aaron Rodgers and co. in the fourth quarter when it seemed a Green Bay comeback was inevitable. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler won his first game at Lambeau Field and just his second in the 12-game head-to-head series with Rodgers.
One of the only bright spots for the Packers was the continued production from Eddie Lacy. He ran for 105 yards and caught a touchdown pass as the offense's lead back for the second straight game.
On the other hand, Rodgers had a night he'd like to forget, as his stat line represents one of the worst games of his 2015 season. His 62.4 passer rating is his lowest in 11 games so far while a 51.2 completion percentage (second lowest) and 202 passing yards (third lowest) tell the rest of the story. When you add in his fourth interception thrown this year, the best Green Bay quarterback may have been in street clothes up in a press box.
The Packers have a full week to prepare for their Thursday-night matchup with the Detroit Lions in Week 13. For now, though, let's hand out some position grades and go over the key notes and quotes from Green Bay's Thanksgiving letdown at Lambeau.
Position Grades for Packers
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| Position | Grade |
| Quarterback | C |
| Running Back | A+ |
| Wide Receiver | D- |
| Tight End | B |
| Offensive Line | C+ |
| Defensive Line | B- |
| Linebackers | D |
| Defensive Backs | C |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | C |
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers had arguably his worst game of the season. On 43 pass attempts, he only threw for 202 yards for a touchdown and a pick and finished with a 62.4 passer rating and 51.2 completion percentage. Rodgers then had a chance to win the game with seconds remaining in regulation but couldn't get the job done with a 1st-and-goal opportunity.
Running Back
The Packers made a concerted effort to get Eddie Lacy going on the ground early on Thursday. Four of six plays on the team's opening drive were Lacy runs—highlighted by a 29-yard gain on the tailback's first touch of the game. Lacy would finish with 105 rushing yards on just 17 carries, hitting the century mark for the second straight week. He also added four catches for 34 yards, including a touchdown reception for the game's opening score in the first quarter.
Wide Receiver
Outside of Randall Cobb—who caught six passes for 74 yards—Green Bay's wideouts offered little to no help to Rodgers in the passing game. Just two Packer receivers caught passes on Thursday, and one of them, James Jones, was held without a catch for the second time in three games despite a 106-yard performance last time out. Davante Adams was targeted a team-high 11 times yet caught just two passes for 14 yards. It should also be noted, Adams dropped a sure touchdown in the first quarter that would have given the Packers an early lead in a scoreless contest.
Tight End
Rodgers smartly used his tight ends in the passing game as Justin Perillo and Richard Rodgers combined to tally six receptions for 39 yards. The two should get more recognition for the jobs they did as blockers for Lacy, though. Whether the play called for either to line up in the backfield or take on a defensive end straight up, Perillo and Rodgers both made key blocks to spring Lacy loose on a few of his longer runs.
Offensive Line
In the early going, the offensive line dominated in the trenches. Lacy found his rhythm running the ball in the first-half largely because of the massive lanes he had up the middle. Specifically, backup center JC Tretter—starting in place of the injured Corey Linsley—impressed with his athleticism in getting up to the second level of Chicago's defense to block linebackers. Yet Tretter did have a huge miscue in the third quarter when his bad snap on 3rd-and-15 pushed the Packers out of field-goal range.
The second half was a different story altogether for Green Bay's O-line. When right tackle Bryan Bulaga left with an injury, Rodgers seemed to have almost no time in the pocket to look downfield on pass plays. On the final drive, the line's inability to keep pressure off their quarterback partially cost Green Bay a victory too.
Defensive Line
Much like their teammates on the other side of the ball, Green Bay's D-line was much better in the first half. Chicago tailbacks Matt Forte and Jeremy Langford combined to run for 92 yards in the game, with the majority coming in the second half as the Bears tried to keep the ball out of Aaron Rodgers' hands for as long as possible.
Linebackers
Outside of a couple tackles for loss by Mike Neal and Datone Jones, the linebacking corps struggled Thursday—especially defending the pass. Bears tight end Zach Miller found himself wide open in the end zone on the three-yard touchdown catch that tied the game at seven in the first quarter. Replays showed Nate Palmer inexplicably opting not to cover Miller as he ran right by him across the middle.
Defensive Backs
If Alshon Jeffery didn't suit up on Thursday, this game likely would have had a different outcome. Yet the Chicago wideout did play, and he went on to torch any and all cornerbacks manned up on him. Jeffery's seven catches for 90 receiving yards may have led all Bears pass-catchers, but his presence allowed Jay Cutler to get one-on-one matchups elsewhere. Cutler only threw for 200 yards in the contest, but his 90.8 passer rating shows how efficient he was against Green Bay's secondary.
Special Teams
Jeff Janis had another long return for the second straight week as Micah Hyde's replacement on kickoffs. This one, a 64-yarder, put Green Bay in field-goal range right away and would ultimately lead to a Mason Crosby chip shot to give the Packers a 10-7 lead. Crosby had another impressive outing, hitting both his field-goal tries, including a clutch 50-yarder with the clock winding down before halftime.
Coaching
Head coach Mike McCarthy had Packer fans scratching their heads when he chose to go for it on fourth-and-2 at midfield on the team's opening drive of the game. Lacy got stuffed on the conversion attempt, and the costly decision sent bad vibes throughout the stadium. Luckily, the Bears went on to punt on their ensuing drive, but it was certainly a risky move by McCarthy.
Rodgers' Game-Winning Drives Come Up Short
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For any Green Bay fan used to watching Aaron Rodgers win games in the fourth quarter, the end of Thursday's loss certainly came as a surprise.
Down 17-13 with 4:09 left in the game, the Packers had the ball deep in their own territory with one good drive between them and the end zone.
As usual, Rodgers wasted no time in getting down to business. He scrambled for consecutive first downs on the first two plays of the drive and converted another a play later with a 12-yard completion to Richard Rodgers. All of a sudden, Green Bay found itself at midfield with mountains of momentum on its side.
The fourth play is one we can only assume Rodgers wants back. He fired a bullet to where Davante Adams should have been after running a slant route on the right side. Instead of a fourth straight first down, Bears cornerback Tracy Porter stepped up and intercepted the pass to hush an anxious Lambeau Field. It was just the fourth time Rodgers had been picked off all year—the third time at home.
No sweat, though. There was still 3:19 left, and the Packers had all three of their timeouts to stop the clock on Chicago's ensuing drive—one that would surely feature three running plays in a row.
By the time Rodgers and co. got the ball back, all that was needed was another drive with the same efficiency and urgency as the last one began.
Nine plays later, the Packers were looking at a 1st-and-goal situation from Chicago's eight-yard line with less than a minute remaining. One catch in the end zone virtually guaranteed Green Bay the win—and the offense had four tries to do so.
Slam dunk for Rodgers, right?
Guess again. On each of the four downs, Rodgers either struggled to find an open receiver or was forced to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack with pressure bearing down on him.
Four incompletions later, the Bears had their victory as spoilers on Thanksgiving.
Rodgers on the Packers' Loss
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Although the Packers lost on Thursday with a disappointing finish fresh in everyone's mind, the team's performance was just the latest in a string of games in which Green Bay has looked less and less like the team than began the season 6-0.
Aaron Rodgers let the media know after the game that everyone should be held accountable for Green Bay's recent struggles. He got right to the point when asked about the loss, saying "This is on us," per Jason Wilde of ESPN.
A visibly angry Rodgers went on to elaborate.
"Everybody’s got to play better—obviously," Rodgers said, again relayed by Wilde. "I think we’ve all got to look in the mirror and play better. Myself included."
At least the Packers have a full week to prepare for Thursday's matchup with the Detroit Lions—a team that has beaten them this season.
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Lacy Has Up-and-Down Game
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If the Packers can take away anything positive from their Week 12 loss to Chicago, it's the continued reemergence of Eddie Lacy as the go-to back.
After failing to reach the century mark all season, Lacy has now racked up back-to-back 100-yard performances over the last two weeks, and his 105 rushing yards on Thursday night amounted to a season high.
Lacy started at running back on the Packers' opening drive and saw four carries in the first six offensive plays—highlighted by a season-high 29-yard dash on his first touch of the game. Overall, his 6.2 yards-per-rush average on 17 carries is his best mark in 2015.
Lacy also added four catches for 34 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.
However, his night was marred by a lost fumble toward the end of the first quarter that would prove costly. The turnover led to a Bears touchdown on the ensuing drive, which tied the game at seven. Lacy was then benched for backup James Starks for the remainder of the half.
Still, Green Bay didn't shy away from giving their star back another chance in the second half. On the Packers' first possession of the third quarter, Lacy got the ball on the first four plays and gained 21 yards.
Despite the fumble, Lacy shone in the loss and provides a much-needed dimension going forward to a struggling Green Bay offense.
T.J. Lang on Green Bay's Issues
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The Packers have now lost four times in the last five games and are in danger of falling behind the Vikings in the NFC North standings for the second time this season.
Thursday night's loss to Chicago may have been the final straw for Green Bay guard T.J. Lang, who's been with the team since 2009.
"We’re not going to go anywhere we want to be if we keep making the same mistakes," Lang said after the game, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "We’ve got to get it corrected."
Lang went on to voice his frustration with the Packers' recent struggles.
"Obviously, we're running out of time here," he said, via Wood. "We've got 5 games left. We've got to find a way to correct it fast."
Lang also channeled Rodgers by holding everyone accountable for the team's losing ways of late.
"Everybody's got to do their job," he said, via Wood. "There are times when everybody's taking their turn screwing up. [It] seems to happen at [the] most crucial time."
Favre Honored at Halftime
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Whether you're a Packers fan or not, Thursday's halftime ceremony was certainly something special.
Brett Favre entered through the Lambeau Field tunnel to a standing ovation before his name and retired No. 4 were unveiled on the north end-zone facade next to Reggie White and other Packers greats.
The moment was a long-awaited one from a Green Bay standpoint, as the last time Favre was seen on the holy grounds of Lambeau, he was donning a purple-and-white jersey as the quarterback of the rival Minnesota Vikings.
The scene then amped up a notch when another Packers legend entered the stadium. An 81-year-old Bart Starr rode in on a golf cart with his wife, Cherry, to embrace and congratulate Favre.
Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel captured the moment brilliantly:
"The sight of Favre and his wife, Deanna, hugging Bart and Cherry has to rank among the top lump-in-the-throat moments in Lambeau Field's storied history. The quarterbacks, 35 years apart in age but joined at the hip as icons, combined for 254 victories and 594 touchdown passes in Packers uniforms — Starr the ultimate field general, Favre the ultimate gamer.
"
Starr, who suffered two strokes, a heart attack and multiple seizures just 14 months ago, made it a point in his recovery to get back to Lambeau one last time.
"It's more than likely his last time to be here," Favre said afterward, via D'Amato. "It's sad, but I really wanted him to be here. His family wanted him to be here. I think it was a special way to send him off. He's an amazing guy, had an amazing career here [and is] an icon for so many."
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