Packers: How Mike Pettine’s adjustments helped triumphant comeback

The Green Bay Packers’ defensive performance in the second half was key to victory against the Chicago Bears.

“If you shut them out, we’re gonna win.”

That’s the inspirational quote that Aaron Rodgers told his defense in the locker room at halftime. Things looked bleak for the Green Bay Packers after two quarters were in the books.

Mitch Trubisky was making great throws, Jordan Howard was moving the ball effectively, and Khalil Mack was causing a magnitude of disruptions for the Packers offense.

Calling Khalil Mack a monster sounds like an understatement. The former defensive player of the year has shown the entire NFL, especially Jon Gruden, about why he deserved the salary the Chicago Bears gave him.

Bryan Bulaga had his hands full trying to defend the intruding 247-pound linebacker. Mack recorded a sack, a fumble recovery, an interception and a defensive touchdown — all in the first half.

Nostradamus himself could not predict Aaron Rodgers to return to the field to begin the third quarter. Chicago’s defensive game plan was to stop Rodgers from rolling out of the pocket. They successfully prevented Rodgers from scrambling, but they forgot two key things.

Number one: Rodgers is equally as good inside the pocket as he is outside it. The second thing: Green Bay will always find a way to win.

The offense adjusted brilliantly by quick throws in slant routes and hitch routes. It was a nostalgic flashback of how the Packers offense used to look the last time Joe Philbin was their offensive coordinator.

The last time Philbin coached the green and gold was in 2011 when the Green Bay Packers went 15-1 and had the number one offense in the NFL. The rest of the team looks much different in seven years, but the efficiency of Aaron Rodgers has remained the same.

Philbin and his crew did their task to put points on the board and take the lead, but let’s not forget about the new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and his brilliance in the second half. Rodgers asked his defense for a shutout. The defense allowed only two field goals, which was enough for the Packers to snatch the win under noses of the Bears.

Mitch Trubisky looked good in the first half of the game. He has an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal along with a much-enhanced defense to help with his time of possession. Trubisky has a lot to learn, but he has the potential for being the answer to the Bears quarterback they’ve been desperately looking for.

Credit needs to go towards the Packers’ young secondary for helping put a stop to Chicago’s offensive drives. Jaire Alexander, Kentrell Brice and Josh Jackson covered their receivers much better, which made Trubisky uncomfortable in the pocket.

By the time Trubisky would step back to check his progressions, he never saw an opening. Merely seconds after the snap the pocket would collapse around Trubisky, forcing him to scramble out of the pocket.

Mike Pettine’s defense began working consecutively as a unit to prevent the Bears from scoring another touchdown, causing the Packers hopes to stay alive. The plan was simple: to get the ball back into Rodgers’ hands. The execution was tremendous on the defense, which caused Trubisky to panic and had to run the ball himself for little to no yards.

While the secondary did their jobs covering, the pressure up front became more substantial. Muhammad Wilkerson, Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark had enough time to make their presence known for the young Chicago quarterback.

The linebackers stayed true to their nature with Blake Martinez and the preseason prodigy Reggie Gilbert forming great tackles. Nick Perry, of course, put in the final dagger with his sack on the fourth down play.

The second half of the game was a complete 180 for both phases. The offense is obviously better with Rodgers on the field, and the defense managed to find a way to secure a win as well. The defense limited any scoring drives to only field goals. No one gave up any big plays to a receiver. There weren’t many mistakes, excluding Clay Matthews‘ costly roughing the passer penalty.

While the praise and glory will be all credited towards Rodgers, a little recognition is deserved towards Pettine’s new defense on bringing the support. If the Green Bay defense continues to improve throughout the season, it could finally be the answer that Packers fans have been desperately waiting for.