Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: Highlights, stats, and more

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears face off for the bazillionth time today with the Packers playing for another NFC North Division championship and the Bears trying to stay in the Playoff scramble.

The Green Bay Packers, with three touchdown catches by James Jones and a smothering defense, defeated the Chicago Bears 21-13 today to win their second straight NFC North Division title and continue to move toward a possible second seed in the playoffs.

Brandon Marshallbreaks a tackle by Green Bay Packers cornerback Casey Hayward (29) and inside linebacker Brad Jones (59) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers was efficient today, making huge plays with his feet and bis arm along the way. He was 26 of 36 for 291 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while his counterpart, Jay Cutler, was a shadow of himself, completing 12 of 21 for 135 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The Packers defense held the Bears to a total of 218 yards of offense on the day, smothering the trash-talkin’ Brandon Marshall, who collected 6 receptions for 56 yards. Matt Forte out-gained Marshall in passing yardage, catching five passes for 64 yards

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were on the call for FOX Sports today and here’s a couple of things they said at the top of the program: 

Aikman: “The Bears have a formula – taking the ball away. They need to run the football … could run it 40 times. Jay Cutler has to play better today.”

They had one takeaway when Ryan Grant fumbled at the end of a 10-yard run … clearly, they didn’t do as well as they needed to win the game. And as for Cutler, well …

Here’s what Buck said: “It’s up to reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers.”

Rodgers was just good enough … he missed some passes that could have been big plays, but he made some nice throws, especially to Jones for his three touchdowns.

The Packers also had a decent day running the ball by committee. Green ran for 35 yards on 13 attempts, Grant ran 8 times for 32 yards, DuJuan Harris ran five times for 27 yards, Rodgers was 4 for 14 and John Kuhn ran twice for five yards – a team total of 113 yards.

With so much on the line, it’s appropriate that it’s these two storied franchises were banging heads today. Beats the heck out of watching the Rams and Vikings, eh?

The quiet time recognizing those who died at the elementary school in Connecticut is moving, though very short – so it seems. You can hear a pin drop. Tears are shed, Aaron Rodgers looks pumped.

First half action

Packers kick off  – Crosby kicks it to the back of the end zone

Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) reacts after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Bears first possession: 28th ranked offense; Bears go to the run right away.

Second play of the possession draw play for first down

Four straight runs by Forte – gets 2 first downs

Armando Allen gets three on sixth play of drive

on second and 7 from Packers 49; Cutler under pressure completes 10 yards to Brandon Marshall for first down

First and 10 from the 40, Forte picks up 9 off right side

Second and 1, Forte stopped for no gain as Packers defense penetrates

Third and 1, ball at the 30, false start on Bears

Third and 6, Cutler in the gun. Sam Shields knocks the ball away from Alshon Jeffery

Bears punt, Bears down it at the 2

Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Packers first possession

First and 10 from the 2, false start on Don Barclay – ball moved back to the 1

First and 11, Quick pass to James Jones out to the 7,

Second and 6, handoff to Kuhn for 3

Third and 2, ball at 11, Rodgers bootleg right, can’t find anyone open and runs for 6 and a first down

First and 10, ball at 17, Rodgers under center, handoff to Alex Green, spins, runs hard and picks up six

Second and four, Packers in hurry up, quick pass to Randall Cobb, behind him, tips in the air but falls incomplete

Third and 4, Rodgers in gun, pass to the sideline low and incomplete to Jennings

Masthay punt to Devin Hester – However huge penalty on Bears – 12 men on the field gives Packers first down at the Packers 28

First and 10, Rodgers pressured, tries to run, but is sacked for 4-yard loss

Second and 14, pass incomplete to Finley

Third and 14, Rodgers in the gun, Rodgers under pressure from Lance Briggs throws it away

Fourth and 14 punt to Hester – Hester with nice return of 24 yards

Bears second possession

First and 10 from the Bears 48, run no gain

Second and 10, loss of 4 with stop by BJ Raji

Third and 14, Cutler runs, but short of first down

Fourth down punt – fair catch by Randall Cobb at the 14

Alex Green

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Packers third possession

First and 10 from the Packers 14, Alex Green for 7

Second and 3, Green runs hard to the left for 5 and a first down

Packers is hurry up, first and 10, ball at 28, Delayed handoff to Green for 3

Second and 7, Quick pass to Green loses 1 yard

Third and 7, Rodgers in the gun, Rodgers steps up and sacked for the second time

Fourth down punt, to Hester, ball rolls out of bounds at the Bears 33

Bears third possession

First and 10 from the Bears, long pass attempt down right sideline to Forte incomplete

Second and 10, handoff to Forte for 7, but holding on Bears

Second and 20, ball at the 19, Cutler throws screen to Allen for 16

End of the first quarter

Packers

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Bears

Clay Matthews

Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Third and 4, Ball at Bears 34, Cutler sacked by Clay Matthews

Punt to Cobb, seven yard return, but holding on Packers

Packers fourth possession

First down and 10 from the Packers, 30-yard laser to Randall Cobb over the middle

First and 10, handoff to Green who changes direction back to the right for 2

Second and 8, pass to Finley for seven

Third and 1, Rodgers hurry up and Packers called for 12 men on the field

Fourth and 2, Packers go for it, Rodgers in gun, pass over the middle to Finley for first down

First and 10, ball at Bears 29, handoff to Green off right tackle picks up 4

Second and 6, swing pass toward Green is batted down

Third and 6, pass to Cobb wide open off his fingertips incomplete – This would have been a touchdown had Rodgers not led Cobb by a few inches

Crosby FG attempt NO GOOD – and it wasn’t even no good … it missed very badly to the right – may have been tipped.

Brandon Marshall

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Bears possession

First and 10, forte no gain

Second and 10 to Marshall over the middle for first down

First and 10, Forte for 3

Second and 7, ball at Bears 46, Forte rips off  22 yard run and Packers called for personal foul

First and 10 at Packers 17, handoff to Allen for 2

Second and 8, Bears have 14 runs and 8 passes – Pass to Brandon Marshall who breaks tackle and runs into the end zone for a touchdown

Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards in 3:19

Bears 7 Packers 0

Packers possession

Bears kickoff to Packers – Randall Cobb returns it 10 yards and can’t evade Bears tackler

First and 10 from the 10, pass to outside to Greg Jennings for 18

First and 10 from the 30, Rodgers under center hands off to Ryan Grant off left tackle for 2

Second and 8, Grant again for 3

Third and 5, Rodgers under pressure rushes right and throws a strike to Cobb for first down 31 yard gain

First and 10, Grant for no gain

Second and 10, ball at Bears 35, pass to Finley for 6

James Jones (

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Third and 4 from Packers 31, Pass down right sideline to James Jones for 29-yard touchdown – his 10th touchdown of the year

4:19 Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards in 3:44

Packers 7 Bears 7

Bears possession

Packers kickoff to Bears – Hester with 30 yard return

First and 10 from the Bears 31, Cutler under center, hands off to Forte, hit by Matthews, but Forte gets back to line of scrimmage

Second and 10 Cutler under center, handoff to Forte, hit in backfield again by Matthews for loss of 2

Third and 12, quick screen to Marshall who is hit immediately by Erik Walden, Marshall fumbles, but Bears recover

Bears punt to Cobb who calls for fair catch at Packers 26

Packers possession

First and 10 from the 26, Rodgers in gun, fake handoff to Green, then Rodgers rolls right and passes to Green for 6

Two-minute warning

Second and 4,Rodgers rolls right and throws it away

Third and 4, Rodgers in the gun, Peppers sacks Rodgers

Bears timeout

Fourth down punt by Masthay, Hester dives to make the catch

Bears possession

First and 10 from the Bears 38, Casey Hayward interception and returns it to the 26

Packers possession

First and 10 at the 26, Rodgers in the gun, Quick pass to the right side to Cobb for 3

Second and 7, Rodgers passes toward Green incomplete

Third and 7, pass over the middle to Cobb for 13 yards and a first down to the 10

First and goal, Green for 3

Packers timeout – first

James Jones corrals the ball for his second touchdown of the day. Raymond T. Rivard photograph courtesy of FOX Sports

Second and goal, ball at the Bears 7, Rodgers in the gun, passes over the middle to James Jones touchdown for the touchdown – Rodgers’ 31st TD on the season, second TD on the day for Jones (11 on the year)

Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards in 0:57

Packers 14 Bears 7

Packers kickoff to Bears – touchback

Bears possession: 28 seconds left, Cutler in the gun, pass over the middle to Forte

Bears let the clock run out

Halftime

Packers 14 Bears 7

First half statistics courtesy of si.com

Packers

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/12/16/5102/index.html#ixzz2FFEDaNHQ

Bears

Packers

Bears

Second half

Packers possession 

Bears kickoff to Packers – Cobb returns it to the 21

First and 10: DuJuan Harris with a huge run up the middle for 20

First and 10, Harris loses 1

Second and 11, pass to Jennings for 8

Third and 3, ball at 50, pass over the middle to Finley for 10 and a first down

First and 10 from the Bears’ 41, handoff to Harris for 2

Second and 8, ball at Bears 39, Rodger pitches over the middle to Jennings for 11 and a first down

Packers in hurry up, first and 10, handoff to Harris for 4,

Second and 6, overthrows Jones while scrambling to the right side toward Jones

Third and 6, handoff to Kuhn for 1

Randall Cobb

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Fourth and 5, Packers go for it – Crosby frustrated on sideline, Rodgers in Gun, completes it over the middle to Cobb for 15

First and 10 at the Bears 14, handoff to Green who loses 2,

Second and 12, quick pass to Jones and the ball goes right through his hands – he had the block from Jennings that could have been a big play

Packers timeout – first

Third and 12, pass to Finley incomplete, but the Bears called for pass interference in the end zone. Ball placed at 1 yard line

First and goal, Rodgers in gun, Packers called for delay of game

First and goal, ball at the 6, Grant in backfield. Rodgers drops back and throws a back shoulder throw to Jones for Touchdown – Jones’s third of the day, Rodgers’ 32nd of the season

Huge Packers drive of 8:08

Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards in 6:52

Having the Packers hold the ball for nearly half of the third quarter is huge

Packers 21 Bears 7

Bears first possession of second half

Packers kick off to Hester who returns it 22 yards

First and 10, Forte for 4

Second and 6, pass to Forte for 10 and a first down

First and 10, ball at 40, handoff to Forte blown up by Ryan Pickett – loss of 1

Second and 11, Cutler throws long over the middle incomplete

Third and 11, ball at Bears 40, Cutler in gun, Cutler sacked by Mike Neal

Fourth down punt by the Bears, Cobb catches and hit immediately

Packers second possession

First and 10, Green for no gain

Second and 10, Rodgers in the gun, pass to Jennings tipped and falls incomplete – Whew

James Jones  Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

PLAY OF THE GAME – Third and 10, Rodgers scrambles in the pocket, evades Julius Peppers and then hits Cobb over the middle for 20

Rodgers calls second timeout

First and 10, Harris for 1

Second and 9, ball at the Packers 49, Rodgers under center, hands off to Ryan Grant who picks up first down, but fumbles

Bears possession

First and 10, long pass to Jeffery falls incomplete – Shields called for holding

First and 10, long pass to Jeffery goes incomplete, but Morgan Burnett called for 53 yard pass interference

Cutler calls Bears first timeout

First and goal, Forte for 3 down to the 2

Second and goal, Forte no gain

Third and goal, Forte no gain

Fourth and goal, Cutler in the gun, throws to Jeffery for the TD, but he’s called for pass interference

Big stop by the Packers 

Field Goal by Olindo Mare, Good

Packers 21 Bears 10

Packers third possession

Bears kickoff to Packers – touchback

First and 10 at the 20, Green for 1

End of the third quarter

Fourth Quarter

Second and 9, Rodgers under center, Rodgers steps up, but is tripped after gain of 2

Third and 8, Rodgers in the gun, Rodgers all day finds Jones over the mildly for 15 and a first down

First and 10 , ball at 33, Green up the middle for 3,

Second and 7, Rodgers under center, hits Finley over the middle, gets hit after the catch and picks up a total of 33

First and 10, ball at Bears 33, Sitton called for holding

First and 20, ball at Bears 43, Rodgers passes off back foot too low to Green

Second and 20, pass over the middle to Jennings for 14

Third and 6, ball at Bears 29, Rodgers in gun, Rodgers scrambles, but is one yard short

Mason Crosby missed two field goal attempts against the Bears. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Crosby hits upright – NO GOOD – second miss of the day

Score stays at Packers 21 Bears 10

Bears possession

First and 10 pass to Jeffery, but he’s called for pass interference

Second and 20,

Third and 17, Cutler sacked by Clay Matthews – second pf the day

Third and 24, pass to Forte well short of first down

Fourth down punt to Cobb, Cobb tries backward pass and the ball is fumbled -THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST STUPID CALL I HAVE EVER SEEN BY THE PACKERS IN MORE THAN 45 YEARS OF WATCHING THE TEAM!!!! Why? Mike McCarthy, Why?

Bears possession

First and 10 at the Packers 14, pass into the end zone nearly intercepted by Shields

Second and 10, pitch to Forte who is hit at the line of scrimmage by Brad Jones

Bears timeout

Third and 9, Cutler passes incomplete to Forte

Defense comes up with a huge defensive stop

Field goal by Mare, GOOD

Packers 21 Bears 13

Packers possession

Julius Peppers

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Bears kickoff to Packers – touchback

First and 10, ball at 20, Rodgers under center, Green for 3

Second and 7, Green for no gain

Third and 7, Rodgers incomplete, but Peppers called for roughing the passer. Peppers injured on the play.

First and 10 from the 36, handoff to Ryan Grant who hangs onto the ball for 5

Second and 5, Grant for 2

Third and 3, Rodgers under center, passes long toward Jennings incomplete

4 minutes remain

Packers fourth down punt, Hester returns 17 to the Bears 32

Bears possession

First down and 10, 3:47 left in the game, Cutler under center, pass to Marshall for 10-after Cutler runs out of the pocket

First and 10, Cutler under pressure throws incomplete

Second and 10, ball at Bears 44, pass knocked down by Clay Matthews

Packers cornerback Sam Shields (37) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Third and 10, 2:58 left, Cutler in gun, long pass Alshon Jeffery, but Jeffery called for pass interference

Third and 20, pass for 11 to Marshall

Fourth and 9, Cutler in gun, passes toward Jeffery knocked down by Shields

Packers take over on downs

First and 10, Grant for 3

Two Minute Warning

Second and 7,

Third and 6, Rodgers under center, hands off to Grant who is one yard short of a first down

Packers called for delay of game 1:02 remains

Fourth and 1, Packers punt to Hester, Masthay punts down to the 2-yard line

Bears final possession

First and 10 from the 2, 56 seconds remain, Cutler passes to Forte for 10

First and 10, Cutler sacked at the 4

Final play, Forte pass over the middle and tackled as the clock runs out

Packers 21 Bears 13

Game’s final stats courtesy of si.com

Packers

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/12/16/5102/index.html#ixzz2FFcqHYaU

Bears

Packers

Bears