Three takeaways from Packers’ win vs. Bears in Week 1

1. Defense dominates

When was the last time the Green Bay Packers defense dominated a game like this? Mike Pettine’s unit came into the season with high expectations after the team spent big in free agency then added two more first-round picks to the defense in April. In their first test of the season, they delivered in a big way.

The Packers held the Bears to just three points and 254 total yards. Chicago’s offense went just 3-of-15 on third down, and 0-2 on fourth down. Some of the blame for the Bears goes on third-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky, some Matt Nagy’s play-calling. But the main reason for the Bears’ offensive struggles was the dominance of the Packers’ defense.

Za’Darius and Preston Smith combined for 2.5 sacks, eight tackles, one pass defense, and four quarterback hits. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Za’Darius Smith had six pressures and Preston Smith had three. That’s exactly the type of production the Packers expected when they signed the Smiths to replace Clay Matthews and Nick Perry.

Safety Adrian Amos made arguably the most important play of the game, intercepted former teammate Mitch Trubisky in the Packers’ end zone, ensuring the team kept its seven-point lead.

Expectations were high for this defense. After one game, they’ve delivered.