It was an impressive defensive effort from the Green Bay Packers, as well as a good show by the special teams units, in their 10-3 win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday night in the NFL's season opener.
Sarah Kelliher of Cheesehead TV recaps the game last night:
Slow and steady wins the race, right? That was surely the case for the Green Bay Packers (1-0, 1-0 NFC North) in week one of the NFL’s 100th season, topping NFC North Rival, the Chicago Bears (0-1, 0-1 NFC North) 10-3 at Soldier Field.
The Matt LaFleur era opened with a win, and even if it was not the prettiest game, a win on the road over a division rival is absolutely a great start for the Packers moving forwards.
“They worked for four quarters, and we knew it was going to be a four-quarter battle,” LaFleur said at the post-game press conference. “Proud of our defense, and their effort. I thought they were smothering. Special teams really picked up the slack. Obviously, we have a lot of improvement from the offensive side of the ball.”
The offensive struggled to find any sense of consistent rhythm throughout the game, but a phenomenal scoring drive in the second quarter was certainly the highlight. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who finished 18-30 for 203 yards and a touchdown (ESPN stats), took Green Bay 74 yards in just four plays in 1:35. 47 yards to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, 9 yards to tight end Mercedes Lewis, 10 yards to wide receiver Davante Adams, and then an insane 8-yard 50-50 touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Graham. Count it. Thanks to the superb performance from Mike Pettine’s defense, that drive was all the Packers needed to top the Bears Thursday night.
With some offensive struggles, a defense that looked truly promising for the first time in years, and an electric performance from punter JK Scott, we certainly have quite a few things to takeaway.
You can read the full recap at Cheesehead TV by clicking here.
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