Good, bad and ugly from Packers' thrilling victory over Bears

How’s that for a season opener?

After plenty of drama and scares, the Green Bay Packers somehow escaped Week 1 with a healthy(ish) quarterback and a 1-0 record. The Packers eked out a 24-23 victory over their division rival Chicago Bears in a game that featured Aaron Rodgers writing another chapter in the book of his legendary moments. The win gives Green Bay a leg up in the standings and sets them up for a crucial match next week against the Minnesota Vikings.

Let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly for the Packers preseason debut:

The Good

• Aaron Rodgers: What more can you say? After suffering a seemingly disastrous injury in the second quarter, Rodgers returned to the field in the second half and led Green Bay to another legendary victory over the Bears. He put up a full game’s worth of stats after returning, completing 17 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. His 39-yard touchdown throw to Geronimo Allison showed exactly the type of otherworldly skill that Rodgers possess, and now Packers fans will wait to see how his knee holds up as the team prepares for another tough test in the Minnesota Vikings.

• Randall Cobb: A player many wanted cut or traded just last month, Randall Cobb once again paired up with Aaron Rodgers to drive a dagger into the heart of the Bears. As Rodgers has stated time and time again, when plays begin to break down, Cobb is one of the first people he looks to, and that was evident during his 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown that put the Packers up for good. Not only was it a game-winning touchdown, but it showcased exactly why Cobb hasn’t gone anywhere: he simply shows up when it matters.

• Second half defense: Mike Pettine’s debut as defensive coordinator got off to about as bad of a start as you could imagine. According to Wes Hodkiewicz, the Bears gained 146 yards on their first two possessions, which comprised of a variety of odd looks and plays that Green Bay clearly was not ready for. However, the Bears only put up a total of 148 yards throughout their next eight series, and as a whole, the Packers defense only gave up 16 points. Many will (rightfully) point to Aaron Rodgers as the reason for the Packers winning, but Mike Pettine and his defense adjusted, tightened up and made the plays necessary to set up the victory.

The Bad

• First-half pass protection: Coming into the game, many pundits figured that Khalil Mack would be near unblockable against the Packers. For about one half of football, they couldn’t have been more right. Mack, Akiem Hicks and the rest of the Bears defensive line absolutely hounded the Packers offensive line during the fast half, sacking Aaron Rodgers twice, forcing him out of the game, and then sacking replacement DeShone Kizer twice. While David Bakhtiari seemed to hold his own, Bryan Bulaga and Justin McCray looked extremely poor to start the game, and although they did shore things up as the game went along, they’ll be facing a possibly tougher matchup next week when the Vikings visit Lambeau.
• DeShone Kizer: Things started off pretty well for Kizer, but quickly spiraled into a catastrophe. After coming in for Rodgers in the second quarter, Kizer actually led the Packers to the Bears 9-yard line before allowing Khalil Mack to literally rip the ball out of his hands on a sack. On the very next drive, Kizer was unprepared for the Bears rush on a play that seemed to be a screen, and threw the ball right into the waiting arms of Mack, who promptly returned the interception for a touchdown. Despite the faith that the Packers have placed in him as a backup, Kizer did account for seven of the Bears 23 points, and likely took at least three points off of the board for Green Bay. Depending on how Rodgers and his injury play out, he’ll need to get past this game quick.

• Aaron Rodgers’ injury: Anytime your all-time great, ridiculously talented quarterback goes down and seems unable to walk, it’s a bad thing. For Packers fans, visions of another season lost flashed before their eyes when Rodgers went down late in the second quarter, and even though he returned, it’s still exactly unknown what’s wrong with his leg. While some theorize it’s nothing more than an MCL sprain, Rodgers did say he’d have to get more tests on it Monday to see exactly what happened. He seems pretty certain that he’ll be playing next week against Minnesota, but if he’s unable to significantly move around the pocket and extend plays, it’ll be interesting to see how he and the offense manage.

The Ugly

• Clay Matthews: Not much else to say here, Clay Matthews was just plain ugly to watch on Sunday night. Not only did he nearly cost Green Bay the win with his bone-headed roughing the passer penalty, but he generally just looked lost and didn’t have much an impact anywhere. While he was able to get into the Chicago backfield at times, he was often left diving at the feet of the Bears running backs or flat out missing chances to tackle Mitchell Trubisky. If the Packers want to compete in the NFC, they’ll need their outside linebackers to step up. Reggie Gilbert and Nick Perry showed last night that they have what it takes, but at this point in his career, does Clay Matthews?