Three reasons that led to Packers’ victory over the Bears

The top three reasons that led to the Green Bay Packers’ Week 1 victory.

The Sunday Night Football matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears was the most exciting game of Week 1.

Coming into the game, there were many different storylines. The return of Aaron Rodgers after missing half of last season. Could new Bears head coach Matt Nagy help Mitchell Trubisky live up to being a former second overall pick?

Above all else, how impactful would Khalil Mack be after being traded to the Bears just a week earlier?

This game gave ammunition to each one of those storylines. Trubisky got off to a hot start in the first half before fading in the second. Rodgers led a miracle comeback after leaving the game because of injury. Lastly, Mack had a dominant first half performance.

After a 20-point comeback, the Packers managed to defeat the Bears with a score of 24-23. During the comeback three things had a major impact on why the Packers won this game. Their defense became stronger as the game went on, Rodgers was nearly perfect, and Green Bay raised its level of intensity in the second half.

1. The defense progression through the game

How good can this defense actually be? With so much young talent, the potential is there. But during the Bears’ first drive, Green Bay’s defense looked very familiar, allowing Trubisky and the Bears offense to seamlessly march down the field and score a touchdown.

But as the game went on the Packers defense started to lock in. That score on the opening drive ended up being Chicago’s only offensive touchdown of the night. After that, the Bears only scored by kicking three field goals.

Although Green Bay wasn’t effective in stopping the run, its pass rush and coverage was great. Trubisky’s yards per attempt was under five and he had a QBR of 29.5 on a scale from 1-100. In addition, Green Bay’s pass rush is what secured the game. Nick Perry forced a strip sack fumble, which Kenny Clark recovered.

The Packers have been looking for defensive support for a while now, and in Week 1 they showed up. Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine should be happy with his unit’s performance.

2. The heroics of Aaron Rodgers

What Rodgers did against the Bears was nothing but spectacular. In the second half alone, Rodgers went 16-for-22, had three touchdowns and passed for 240 yards. However, in reality are Packers fans surprised Rodgers did this? He seems to pull off heroic moments like this at least once a season.

Remember the Hail Mary versus the Lions. How about the two Hail Mary passes against the Cardinals in the playoffs. Not to mention the great sideline pass to Jared Cook in the playoffs against Dallas. Just last season, the game-winning touchdown pass to Davante Adams versus the Cowboys.

These dramatic moments seem to be Rodgers’ speciality. Knowing he can pull off these type of plays is great, but relying on them is bad. If the Packers want to go far this season, they need to start games fast and play with a lead for a change.

3. Increased effort given in the second half

Going into halftime things looked very grim for the Packers, down 17-0 to a Bears team who was stifling on defense. Rodgers’ return was a complete mystery at the time. A potential 0-1 start to the season loomed with the Vikings coming to Lambeau in Week 2.

One of the biggest reasons the Packers were down by so much was their lack of effort. They were just getting pushed around. Chicago was controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Bears came out looking to prove a point, while Green Bay seemed to be going through the motions. In the first half, Chicago’s level of intensity was on another level than the Packers’.

Once the second half started you could feel the shift in momentum. After Rodgers and the offense finally started scoring, the team gained great confidence. The defense knew if they could get enough stops, Rodgers would find a way to win the game.

Once Green Bay started to play with some energy, a scoreless first half turned into a 24-point second half. The offensive line held up much better. Green Bay looked like a new team who actually wanted to play.

This game was truly a tale of two halves.