It seemed like forever since the Packers last won a game. The back-to-back losses in Lambeau certainly left a bad taste in both players and fan’s mouths. Last night’s win over the Bears ended that like a shot of Listerine. 1-1 never felt so good.
With defenses taking away the Packers’ vertical passing game the Packers used small ball to beat the Bears. They also used a power running game that has been absent in recent years. Keep that up and they won’t need to score 35 points a game like they did last year. I love grinding it out and keeping the defense fresh. It also limits your opponents positions.
With Cedric Benson running like that and using the versatility of Randall Cobb the Packers have the ability to run-to-pass instead of the other way around. Cobb is best-kept secret coming out of training camp. When were they practicing this stuff? Cobb is a major weapon with the ball in his hands. Can’t wait to see what he does next.
The Packers defense was nothing short of spectacular. Where that came from is anybody’s guess. The Bears’ offense was supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. Their receivers were too big and too fast for the Packers defensive backs and their quarterback can make any throw in the book. No way the NFL’s worst defense of last year can stand up to that. But stand up they did. And then some!
To hold the Bears to 168 total yards is crazy. The Packers dominated the Bears’ offensive line all game which completely disrupted the Bears’ offense. Clay Matthews could not be stopped, I almost felt bad for J’Marcus Webb. Almost. It only took two games for Matthews to match his sack total of last year. I think he likes the right side.
Cornerback Tramon Williams is clearly back to his normal self after having to play last year with a shoulder injury. Like he did in 2010 he just shuts guys down. With Charles Woodson at safety Williams is the main man in the secondary now and he shut down the Bears’ mighty Brandon Marshall. It was a beautiful thing.
Add in punter Tim Masthay’s touchdown pass and booming punts, Mason Crosby’s 54-yard field goal, and it was an all-around good performance. Offense, defense, special teams. Plenty of room for improvement, but a nice step in the right direction. Certainly makes the long wait for the next game much better.