That comeback made me giddy. Thankfully, there were plenty of Chicago Bears fans in the bar I was in to talk shit to. Aaron Rodgers, man. Legendary.
I think it’s safe to say the Bears are better than we perhaps estimated. That said, maybe the Packers just weren’t quite ready at the start of the game.
146 of the Bears' 294 total yards came on the first two possessions. Chicago had only 148 the next eight series #Packers
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) September 10, 2018
Not much pretty in that first half. That’s for sure. But let’s get on with it.
How About Those Receivers?
I certainly want to give Aaron Rodgers all the credit, but he didn’t do it alone. Randall Cobb had his biggest game in… ? Cobb caught nine for 142 and the game-winning touchdown, which went 75 yards. Let’s remember that again.
Randall Cobb goes 75 YARDS!!!!!! 😱@packers have the lead! #CHIvsGB #GoPackGo
📺: NBC https://t.co/S3trWF5UoY
— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2018
It wasn’t just Cobb, though. Davante Adams had five for 88 and a touch. Geronimo Allison had five for 69 and a touch. I wasn’t totally sold on Allison as the No. 3, but it looks like he’s going to be just fine.
Two other things I found interesting here. Tight end Jimmy Graham, not really involved. Two catches for eight yards on four targets. Secondly, of the Packers seven active receivers, only four got snaps. Nothing new under Mike McCarthy. However, the No. 4 was Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He got two snaps.
Jamaal Williams — Meh
I’m really not sure why McCarthy or anyone for that matter is so in love with Jamaal Williams. Much like 2017, when he averaged a fairly pedestrian 3.6 yards per carry, Williams delivered similar results in week 1. Fifteen carries for 47 yards, a 3.1 yard average. The Packers gave Ty Montgomery just two carries. Aaron Jones is suspended for another week, but McCarthy needs to give him the rock when he returns.
The Khalil Mack Effect
Well, we know what the Packers missed out on when they weren’t able to trade for Khalil Mack. Dude is a game-changer. Three tackles, one for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery, a pass defended, a QB hit and a goddam touchdown to boot. He did that in 42 snaps. Bryan Bulaga could not handle Mack and the Packers left him out there one-on-one most of the time. PFF graded Mack at 93.3 for the game, the highest rating for any edge defender. Bulaga got a 58.8.
But if you’re into the PFF grades, there is good news. David Bakhtiari got the highest grade for a tackle at 84.1. I don’t know who the best tackle in the game is, but Bakhtiari has got to be right there if he isn’t at the top of the list.
Josh Jackson Is In
It seemed like second-round pick Josh Jackson was going to be buried on the depth chart and not get many snaps coming into the season. That is not the case. Jackson, at least based on Sunday night, appears to be entrenched as the Packers No. 4 corner. He got 46 snaps. Davon House got none.
The snap breakdown for the corners are as follows. Kevin King and Tramon Williams with 70. Jaire Alexander with 49 and Jackson’s 46. Of the four, Jackson graded out highest at 78.6. King was the worst at 53.0.
Nay, Clay
If Clay Matthews is looking for another big-money deal after his contract expires following the season, he’s not off to a good start. Matthews’ stat line in week 1 consists of one frickin’ tackle. Was he near the quarterback? Not that I can recall. Nick Perry was. Mike Daniels was. Kenny Clark was. Hell, even safety Kentrell Brice was. Not Clay, though. PFF gave Matthews a 29.8 grade on the night.
Why Is Trevor Davis Around?
Yes, I know this is six, but I have to say it. Davis was inactive for the game. He apparently aggravated the hamstring injury that kept him out most of the preseason at some point in the past week. He was healthy enough to play in week 4 of the preseason, but then not healthy enough to play in week 1 of the regular. Davis was supposedly kept around for his prowess as a return man. In his absence, Ty Montgomery and Marquez Valdes-Scantling returned kicks. They averaged 23.5 and 21.0, respectively. Randall Cobb returned punts. He took the one he returned for 17 yards. So the Packers need Trevor Davis why?