Packers Run Fake FG, Beat Bears 23-10
GREEN BAY,
Wis. (AP) — Four days after starting the season with a demoralizing defeat,
Clay Matthews and the Green Bay Packers looked every bit like the team they
were expected to be this season.
The Packers
(1-1) pulled off a perfectly executed trick play, then rattled and robbed Jay
Cutler the rest of the way in a 23-10 victory over the division rival Chicago
Bears at Lambeau Field on Thursday night.
The win
represented an impressive rebound from a season-opening loss to San Francisco.
Had the Packers lost to the Bears, they would have fallen to 0-2, with both
losses coming at home.
"Inside
the facility, there wasn't any panic," Aaron Rodgers said. "Outside,
I think people were worried if we lose to Chicago, you're kind of putting
yourself behind the eight ball a little bit. Good win for us. We're 1-1. Again,
it's one game. We need to get better on offense; defense played
incredible."
Especially
Matthews, who was credited with 3½ of the Packers' seven sacks of Cutler.
With six
sacks in the Packers' first two games, Matthews already has equaled his total
from last season.
"I
think the statistics speak for themselves," Matthews said. "It's
always good when you get after the quarterback, get him off his rhythm and have
him throw some balls up there that I'm sure he wouldn't want, or wants
back."
It was a
significant step backward for the Bears (1-1), who were filled with confidence
after steamrolling Indianapolis in their opener.
Cutler
threw four interceptions to go with the seven sacks. As frustration mounted,
Cutler vented with emphatic gestures throughout the game, saying afterward it
was simply a sign of his desire to win.
"I
care about this," Cutler said. "This isn't a hobby for me. I am not
doing this for my health. I am trying to win football games and get first
downs. When we're not doing the little things or not doing things the right way
consistently, I'm going to say something. If they want a quarterback that
doesn't care, they can get somebody else."
Cutler was
particularly upset with his offensive line, a position group that did not see a
significant addition during the Bears' offseason makeover of their offense.
"I'm
not going to just walk to the sideline and act like everything's OK," said
Cutler, who was 11 for 27 for 126 yards. "It's just not going to
happen."
The loss
left at least one prominent member of the Bears wondering if their Week 1 win
was something of a mirage.
"Maybe
we're not as good as we thought we were," linebacker Brian Urlacher said.
"We've got a long ways to go, that's obvious. We didn't play like we did
last week. Maybe Green Bay's just that good, I don't know. We just didn't play
well and they played good enough to do what they did to us."
The Bears
also lost running back Matt Forte to an ankle injury. Bears coach Lovie Smith
said the severity of the injury was unclear.
Smith was
impressed by the Packers' rebound during a short turnaround.
"You've
got to give them a lot of credit," he said. "They didn't play as well
as they wanted to last week and they came back this week."
Smith
acknowledged that his team looked "flat-footed" on the Packers'
biggest play of the day, a gutsy and perfectly executed fake field goal when
the Packers were facing fourth-and-26 on the Chicago 27 late in the second
quarter.
"Good
call by them," Smith said. "They executed the play to perfection.
What else can I say? Normally when a fake works it's a good job by the
opponent, and that's what happened tonight."
The Packers
lined up for a field goal, but punter Tim Masthay, the holder, flipped the ball
to backup tight end Tom Crabtree, who streaked into the end zone.
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