Packers: Immediate reactions to comeback victory over Bears

Immediate reactions to the Green Bay Packers’ incredible comeback victory.

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears by a score of 24-23 in a Sunday night thriller to open the season.

Here are some immediate thoughts:

Aaron Rodgers is still the best player in the NFL. The touchdown pass to Allison was unreal.

The game started with more of the same that we saw from the past few years—Rodgers holding the ball and scrambling to find open guys, rather than hitting receivers at the top of his drop. The injury seemed to help both he and the entire passing offense operate more on schedule.

A very concerning play from Justin McCray at the beginning of the game.

Incredible game by Randall Cobb. He played well the entire game, including the beginning of the contest and when Rodgers went out with injury. He’s exactly the type of leader that you want in that young receivers room.

Cobb should continue fielding punts, even when Trevor Davis returns. He just looks so much more comfortable catching them and making decisions.

I was disappointed by DeShone Kizer. Having him throw that screen at the end of the first half was just not worth the risk, though.

Kenny Clark and Mike Daniels were among the few players to perform well in the first half.

It will obviously require further inspection given the nature of the safety position, but Ha Ha Clinton-Dix appeared to have a rough game. He just hesitates so much as a tackler.

It would have been extremely helpful to have Oren Burks or Josh Jones in this game. In addition to Tarik Cohen consistently beating the defense horizontally, Mitch Trubisky frequently escaped from near sacks. Either of those players would have been useful in pursuit.

Interesting that Josh Jackson started in the slot over Jaire Alexander. With his stellar play in the preseason, though, he earned it.

It seems odd to have Davon House playing as a punt gunner. There are, obviously, better athletes on the roster for that athleticism-centric role. Hopefully, some of the younger players will gain the coaching staff’s trust there as the season wears on.

The immediate out pass continues to work only very rarely. Overall, as others have noted, the offensive design wasn’t really anything new.

The Bears should have gone for it on fourth down before the Cobb touchdown. And on the third down, Trubisky really should have thrown the pass to Cohen. Reggie Gilbert was on him for a bit, but with a decent pass that looked like it would have been an easy touchdown.

It’s extremely encouraging that the defense was able to close the win out.

Pass coverage—obviously, a big point of emphasis this offseason—seemed strong throughout the game. The run defense, surprisingly, and pass rush, as expected, left a lot to be desired.

I’m still shocked that the Clay Matthews penalty didn’t cost them the game.

Overall, this was a crucial divisional win. Things will get tougher in coming weeks, especially as the defense faces more seasoned quarterbacks.

The biggest concerns moving forward are the pass rush and safety play. On the offense, meanwhile, Rodgers, Philbin and McCarthy will hopefully take some lessons from the second half and continue to strive for more structured quarterback play even when the injury fully heals.