Recap: Packers 35, Bears 21
SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 25, 2011
Aaron Rodgers threw a career-high five touchdown passes and the Green Bay Packers secured the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC with a 35-21 drubbing of the visiting Chicago Bears on Sunday night.
Rodgers threw two scoring passes apiece to James Jones and Jordy Nelson as the Packers (14-1) bounced back from their lone defeat to earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Chicago (7-8) was eliminated from the postseason after absorbing its fifth consecutive defeat, enabling the Atlanta Falcons to clinch the final playoff berth in the NFC.
Rodgers also threw a scoring pass to tight end Jermichael Finley and shattered the franchise record for single-season passing yards set by Lynn Dickey in 1983.
He has 14 multiple-touchdown games this season and 10 with at least three scoring passes for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Green Bay improved to 7-0 at home by using a 21-point blitz to break the game open after Chicago had pulled within 14-10 on its opening possession of the second half.
Rodgers answered the Bears' touchdown with a 55-yard scoring strike down the middle to Nelson and added short scoring passes to Jones and Nelson in a span of 2:01 to make it 35-10 with 14:53 to play.
Bears third-string running back Khalil Bell rushed for 121 yards on 23 carries in his first career start, helping Chicago control the ball for nearly 36 minutes.
Quarterback Josh McCown, who was coaching high school football when he was signed last month, acquitted himself fairly well in his first start since 2007. He finished 19 of 28 for 242 yards with one TD and a pair of interceptions.
Despite dominating the majority of the opening 30 minutes, the Bears went into the locker room staring at a 14-3 halftime deficit.
Rodgers drove the Packers 80 yards with ridiculous ease on the first possession of the game, connecting on all eight passes before hitting Finley from 2 yards for a 7-0 lead.
The Bears held Green Bay to three consecutive three-and-outs and pulled within 7-3 on Robbie Gould's 35-yard field goal with 1:56 left in the half.
That left Rodgers more than enough time to direct a seven-play, 65-yard scoring match. Jones had a 32-yard catch on the drive before capping it with a 2-yard slant from Rodgers.
Dec 25, 2011
Aaron Rodgers threw a career-high five touchdown passes and the Green Bay Packers secured the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC with a 35-21 drubbing of the visiting Chicago Bears on Sunday night.
Rodgers threw two scoring passes apiece to James Jones and Jordy Nelson as the Packers (14-1) bounced back from their lone defeat to earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Chicago (7-8) was eliminated from the postseason after absorbing its fifth consecutive defeat, enabling the Atlanta Falcons to clinch the final playoff berth in the NFC.
Rodgers also threw a scoring pass to tight end Jermichael Finley and shattered the franchise record for single-season passing yards set by Lynn Dickey in 1983.
He has 14 multiple-touchdown games this season and 10 with at least three scoring passes for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Green Bay improved to 7-0 at home by using a 21-point blitz to break the game open after Chicago had pulled within 14-10 on its opening possession of the second half.
Rodgers answered the Bears' touchdown with a 55-yard scoring strike down the middle to Nelson and added short scoring passes to Jones and Nelson in a span of 2:01 to make it 35-10 with 14:53 to play.
Bears third-string running back Khalil Bell rushed for 121 yards on 23 carries in his first career start, helping Chicago control the ball for nearly 36 minutes.
Quarterback Josh McCown, who was coaching high school football when he was signed last month, acquitted himself fairly well in his first start since 2007. He finished 19 of 28 for 242 yards with one TD and a pair of interceptions.
Despite dominating the majority of the opening 30 minutes, the Bears went into the locker room staring at a 14-3 halftime deficit.
Rodgers drove the Packers 80 yards with ridiculous ease on the first possession of the game, connecting on all eight passes before hitting Finley from 2 yards for a 7-0 lead.
The Bears held Green Bay to three consecutive three-and-outs and pulled within 7-3 on Robbie Gould's 35-yard field goal with 1:56 left in the half.
That left Rodgers more than enough time to direct a seven-play, 65-yard scoring match. Jones had a 32-yard catch on the drive before capping it with a 2-yard slant from Rodgers.
