Green Bay Packers: 5 most important defensive plays
Green Bay Packers free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix during the first half at Soldier Field back in September. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
4. Clinton-Dix keeps Bears out of end zone to end half (Week 4)
The Packers were coming off the back of a tough loss at Detroit as they fell to a 1-2 start for a third consecutive year.
The Lions loss meant the Packers started 0-1 in the division, and faced a huge game on the road at Chicago in week four.
The Bears had started the season 2-1 after impressive victories on the road at San Francisco and New York against the Jets.
“It was huge, it was huge. If they would have scored there they would have been up at the half, ” teammate Micah Hyde said about the play after the game. “Keeping them out, the momentum was on our side.”
Chicago came out flying on offense, taking a 7-0 lead on their opening drive. Green Bay responded quickly to level it at 7-7.
A Robbie Gould field goal gave the Bears a 10-7 lead and the game had offensive shootout written all over it.
Just nine seconds remained in the half and the Packers owned a 21-17 lead. The Bears had the ball on the Green Bay nine-yard line.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix moves in after a second half catch by Martellus Bennett. It was Clinton-Dix’s tackle of Bennett at the goal line at the end of the first half that made a huge difference in this Packers win. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports photograph
Jay Cutler took the ball out of the shotgun and fired it to tight end Martellus Bennett near the goal line. Bennett made the catch, but rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix made an incredible play, wrapping Bennett up in midair and throwing him to the ground before he could break the plane for the score.
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It was a huge play in the game, as a touchdown would have given the Bears a 24-21 lead at the half. The goal line stop left the Bears no time to run another play and the Packers had a four-point lead at halftime, with the second half kickoff coming their way.
Two Cutler interceptions in the second half knocked the wheels off for the Bears, who fell apart as the Packers rolled to a 38-17 victory in Chicago.
The Clinton-Dix goal line stop was so impressive and because it played such a pivotal role in swinging the momentum of the game, it ranks at number four.
Next: A game-changer at number three...