Packers vs. Bears: 5 Halftime Adjustments Green Bay Must Make

The Packers look their normal dominant selves in the first half in Chicago today. But, it's worrisome that they've only scored 14 points with all the good drives they have put together. Involving the running game and refusing to let down are going to be keys to keep momentum in the second half.

On the defensive side, they are playing against a soft quarterback. He has bad interception numbers every season and should be getting pressured like crazy. If they step up the blitzing and the pace of the offense recovers, they should be in good shape.

Here are five big adjustments the Pack can make at halftime:

1. Get Ryan Grant and the Running Game More Involved

 The pass game has been established, now bury them with the run game. Grant is a big, fast back and needs to be getting more touches. I understand that Rodgers is who he is and the weapons in the pass game are unending. But eventually, the solid Bears’ D will key in on the passing game and possibly force a turnover that could prove crucial in the momentum of this game.

The pass-to-rush play ratio is not even close right now, and they need to start balancing it out a little bit to get all their playmakers involved. If you have that huge passing game to fall back on and also get Grant going more, the Bears won’t stand a chance.

2. Keep Up the Pace

No matter what the offensive playbook looks like in the second half, don’t let up on the pace. Chicago is down and now is not the time to be nice and give them a hug. It’s time to throw them to the ground and step on their throats.

Keep the snappy play calls coming, keep throwing the ball downfield on deep routes and find a way to get Grant touching the ball on plays that give him room to move. The second you slow down and give the Bears a chance to gain some confidence, the entire scope of the game will change. You could already see the Bears' offense gaining that confidence, and as maddeningly inconsistent as they are, it's not a team you want to let get rolling.

3. Mix Up the Blitzes

Just bringing Charles Woodson or Clay Matthew is dangerous (well, for the quarterback mostly). By that, I mean that the Pack don't want to allow too much space in the passing lanes by letting some of their best players vacate those spots.

Matt Forte is a good blocker and can usually be counted on to pick up the blitzer from that right side. This allows Jay Cutler more time to throw and less defenders to throw at. I’m all for pressuring Cutler, just make sure it’s a smart blitz that gets mixed up from the player, to the side of the line, to the scheme itself. Confusing Cutler is an easy way to gain another edge in this game. That being said…

4. Keep Putting Pressure on the QB

 Again, Cutler is VERY mistake-prone. He has high interception numbers most seasons and showed it on the long ball that was intercepted by Burnett. The more uncomfortable he is in the pocket, the better the chances he forces the ball into coverage or just throws one up for grabs. A couple takeaways, if capitalized on, will seal the deal for the Packers.

Send Matthews when the situation calls for it, bring Woodson occasionally. But also try running some twist blitzes with linebackers or anything that will screw with the offensive line and get Cutler to run around in circles. He's not the most mobile quarterback, so getting him pressured is going to do wonders for that Green Bay pass defense.

5. Don't Get Forced to Punt

 This one may seem strange, but the way the Packers are moving the ball, they should be able to at least get down in field goal range on almost every drive. Which is great news, because nobody wants to punt to Devin Hester. The last thing they want is to go up by a couple scores and completely lose the momentum by allowing Hester to score a big return.

The offense went a little flat for parts of the second quarter, and the score would look much different if they had kept up the pressure and put a couple field goals on the board. It's pretty standard in the NFL to kick away from Hester in any case, but I say don't even bother. Why risk it? Just keep shoving the ball down their throats and avoid having to punt all together.