<
GREEN BAY – To knock off a formidable opponent like the Packers Thursday night at Lambeau Field, the Bears knew they'd have to get off to a fast start and protect the ball.
Unfortunately, they weren't able to accomplish either objective. The result was an embarrassing 35-14 loss to Green Bay that dropped the Bears to 1-3, halting any momentum generated from last Sunday's stirring overtime victory over the Steelers.
As was the case two weeks earlier in Tampa, the Bears offense committed three turnovers in the first half. The Packers converted the miscues into 14 points in jumping to a 21-0 lead.
Bears receiver Deonte Thompson has a ball kncoked away.
"Obviously a very poor performance," said coach John Fox. "I think it starts at the top. I think we got outcoached, we got outplayed in every area. We've got a lot of work to do. Fortunately, we have a mini-bye here, 10-11 days to evaluate, do things necessary for us to improve. And that's across the board."
While Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes, Bears counterpart Mike Glennon tossed two interceptions and lost two fumbles, though one came on a miscommunication with center Cody Whitehair on a shotgun snap that wasn't entirely Glennon's fault.
Asked if he would consider making a quarterback change for the Bears' next game, Oct. 9 against the Vikings on Monday Night Football at Soldier Field, Fox said: "We need to make a lot of changes. We'll evaluate everything. We've got a lot of work to do here before we line up against Minnesota on Monday night and we're going to look at everything."
Rodgers led the Packers to touchdowns on all five of their red-zone possessions Thursday night. The two-time NFL MVP has now won 13 of the last 14 games he's started and finished against the Bears and has thrown 21 TD passes and just one interception in his last nine contests versus Chicago.
After Rodgers capped the game's opening possession with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams, the Bears turned the ball over on their first play from scrimmage. Glennon fumbled when he was sacked by Clay Matthews and Jake Ryan recovered at the Bears' 3.
Three plays later, Rodgers threw his second touchdown pass in a :53 span, a 2-yarder to Randall Cobb that gave the Packers a commanding 14-0 lead with 8:56 left in the first quarter.
The second Bears turnover came when Whitehair surprised Glennon with a shotgun snap and the ball caromed off the quarterback, resulting in a fumble that linebacker Blake Martinez recovered at the Chicago 24.
Later in the half, Glennon's pass over the middle intended for Markus Wheaton was intercepted by Ha-Ha Clinton Dix. Rodgers completed a 58-yard pass to receiver Jordy Nelson, setting up Aaron Jones' 2-yard TD run, giving the Packers a 21-0 lead with 4:48 left in the half.
The Bears responded as Glennon completed 6 of 7 passes for 72 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown to Kendall Wright, cutting the deficit to 21-7 with :08 remaining in the half.
But the Bears couldn't get any closer. After Deonte Thompson dropped a third-down pass early in the third quarter, Connor Barth missed a 47-yard field goal attempt wide right.
The Packers made it 28-7 on Rodgers' 4-yard touchdown pass to Nelson late in the third quarter, but not before Danny Trevathan drew a 15-yard penalty for a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on Adams that sent the Green Bay receiver off the field on a stretcher.
It was announced in the press box that Adams was taken to an area hospital with head and neck injuries, but he was conscious and had feeling in all of his extremities.
Glennon committed his fourth turnover of the game late in the third quarter when his pass intended for Thompson was intercepted by safety Kentrell Brice.
The Packers converted the turnover as Rodgers tossed his fourth touchdown pass of the night, an 8-yarder to Nelson, making it 35-7 early in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Howard's 3-yard TD run made the score 35-14 with 6:01 remaining in the fourth quarter.
