Green Bay Packers 38, Chicago Bears 17 — 10 quick hitters from the game.
1. A complete back — Matt Forte
There were many victims of Matt Forte on Sunday. Morgan Burnett got steamrolled. Micah Hyde got completely trucked as well. In fact, there might not be one Packers player who wasn’t embarrassed by Forte at some point. There were some massive holes for him to run through, but Matt Forte is a man. There’s not a ton of shame in him running you over or juking you out of your jock and he certainly did his share of both against the porous Green Bay front seven.
2. All-Pro or bust
Jordy Nelson often gets overlooked in my columns and that’s largely because what he does has just come to be expected. He puts on his hard hat and pounds rock all day, every day. He doesn’t want accolades or adoration, he just goes out and does his job every day. Let us not take Jordy for granted just because he is exceptional so often.
3. Return of the YAC
Randall Cobb finally gathered up some yards after the catch for a change. He was the first to call himself out after his dreadful performance last week in Detroit, and he responded with his best game of the year. Cobb finished with seven catches for 113 yards, plenty of which came after the catch. Let’s hope this is a sign of better things to come.
4. Aaron Rodgers a TotalPackers.com fan?
In my prediction for this game I called out to Aaron Rodgers that it was important for him to find the fun and joy that seemed to be missing from his game. Well QB1 answered the bell and appeared to be a completely different person out there on Sunday afternoon in Chicago. Rodgers was smiling, joking and having a really good time out there. That being said, performing well and winning are fun so maybe that was all it took to turn that frown upside down.
However maybe ARodge reads his TotalPackers.com every day. I suggested he “pants” Mike McCarthy as a juvenile expression of joy and of course Rodgers declined, however he did give his head coach a very Favre-ian slap on the ass after one of his early touchdown throws.
Thanks for reading ARodge. I never got off you, dude. Shawn and Monty did, but I didn’t lose the faith.
5. Richard Rodgers a TotalPackers.com fan?
Anyone notice Richard Rodgers epic block way down field towards the end of the game? Remember that? Yeah… that was awesome.
Perhaps the lesser known Rodgers reads our stuff as well. Monty gave Richard Rodgers a good tongue lashing and I have no doubt it motivated his performance. Or at least that’s my story and I’m sticking with it.
6. McCarthy not a TotalPackers.com fan
Mike McCarthy probably does not read TotalPackers.com, and if he does, it doesn’t appear he’s much of a fan or supporter of the advice we offer. Countless times our staff of writers have called for someone other than Eddie Lacy to get the bulk of the carries. Jeez Mike, we’re sorry okay? I didn’t think the mere suggestion would have you eliminate all carries for all backs NOT named Eddie Lacy.
7. Spacey Lacy
And speaking of which. Eddie. Eeeee-ddie? Eddie! Wake up, man! It’s Sunday, man! Time to look for the holes your blockers are creating for you and run that way.
I’m a little concerned his latest concussion has caused some issues. Eddie Lacy continues to struggle.
Hey Big Mike…don’t play DuJuan Harris. Ever. Never let him grace the field. Thank you.
8. Oh boy o-line
When Aaron Rodgers has time to throw, he can light it up all day and all night. The offensive line played easily their best game of the year, albeit against a very banged-up and Jared Allen-less Bears defense.
9. Lattimore or less
He does get run over once in a while and sometimes it does take him a few yards to drag down his man alone, but time and time again Jamari Lattimore throws himself into the fray with little or no regard for his own well-being and he hits the holes with violence. Whether it be taking on a blocker or a ball carrier, Jamari brings the wood.
It reminds me a little of a story my old man likes to tell. My dad played high school football against future NFL’er and Super Bowl champion Pete Banaszak. My dad was an undersized player, as were all guys who played for Goodman-Pembine with their massive enrollment of like… eight.
My dad always used to say, “Banaszak ran me over time and time again, but you know what? I hit that son of a gun even harder the next time.”
That pretty much summarizes both the good and bad with Jamari Lattimore.
10. A short week followed by a half a bye week.
Packers are favored by 9.5. Now is not the time for a letdown.
Lacy just keeps running at the Packer ass that is nearest him at that moment in time apparently.
Is he gay? If so, that makes James Starks the biggest homophobe on the team. Play the man!!!!
If we lost, everyone would be talking bout just how atrocious our D is right now. I’m praying to God that what we saw this Sunday was as fluke of a game for the D as it gets. Maybe they we’re tired? Maybe Clay Matthews was limited in his injury? Maybe the turf made them scared to move to quickly?
This week, I am looking for the Packers to prove that they can play well in all three aspects in all 4 quarters. Not because I wanna see play like that from now, just so it can be said that they CAN play like that. They have the talent, and there ought to be one game where that shows, much like the game against the Cowboys in 2010.
Haha… great stuff.
No throwing me under the bus though.
No one in the right mind would ever lose faith in Aaron Rodgers.
Not to be a worrywort, but lets see what happens over the next four weeks or so before we declare the packers offense “back.” Lets take the rose colored glasses off a sec and see this for what it is. The packers marched up and down the field on a defense missing one veteran leader (Tillman), while also missing its best pass rusher as well as best interior lineman. What they did on Sunday way impressive regardless because it was done to an NFL defense, but I am still going to reserve judgment until I see a consistent game in game out performance out of the offense. On a sidenote, I do get the feeling Lacy is running scared. I thought his best game of the season was against the seahawks, he did the most with the little he had to work with in that game. Broke several tackles and was a one cut and upfield runner. Since the concussion, I haven’t seen that runner. For this team to have a shot a deep postseason run, the running game needs to get going. As well as the obvious issues on defense.
“Time to look for the holes your blockers are creating for you and run that way”.
Which Holes?!
Which Blockers?!
We saw the same game?