Week 1 Game Recap: Chicago Bears 26, Green Bay Packers 0

What you need to know

Chicago Bears

Domination along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball led to a victory even more lopsided than the score might indicate.

The Bears controlled the ball for 34:05 as Rex Grossman hit seven different receivers and the running game managed to churn out tough yardage. Chicago scored in every quarter, and the Bears’ defense throttled every Packers’ drive.

Rex Grossman, starting only his eighth game at quarterback, looked to be firmly in control. He completed 18 of 26 passes with 12 going for first downs. Only four Chicago first downs came on the ground.

Muhsin Muhammad caught six passes for 102 yards, and Bernard Berrian scored the Bears’ lone offensive touchdown on a 49 yard strike on game’s first offensive series.

Thomas Jones started the game and finished with 63 yards on 21 attempts. Cedric Benson was held out until the second half, and added 34 yards on 11 carries.

Rookie Devin Hester returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Robbie Gould converted all four of his field goal attempts.

Green Bay Packers

While the Packers never quit in this bruising game with their bitter rival, they were no match for the defending Conference Champions.

Green Bay couldn’t convert a third down until midway through the third quarter, and only crossed midfield three times.

Brett Favre completed just over half of his passes and Donald Driver led all Packers’ receivers with seven catches for 96 yards.

Ahman Green was lone bright spot for Green Bay, as he ran hard all day long against the stout Chicago line, and wound up with over 100 tough yards on 20 carries.

The Packers only scoring threat came at the end of the first half. Jon Ryan faked a punt and passed to Noah Herron for a first down, but Dave Rayner missed a 53 yard field goal attempt as time ran out.

This is the first time the Packers have been shut out in 233 games. The last team to do it was the Chicago Bears, on October 17, 1991.

What you ought to know

QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 18 - 26 - 262 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - -4 - 0 (1 targets)

Grossman was efficient in hitting 18 of his 26 passes, and found Bernard Berrian on a 49 yard touchdown on the Bears’ opening drive. On Chicago’s second drive, however, he threw a bad pass which was intercepted in the Packers’ end zone. Before halftime, he engineered three more drives which stalled deep in Packers’ territory resulting in Robbie Gould field goals. Grossman continued to pick up first downs with short controlled passes while Green Bay dug in to stop the run. He finished the game with 262 passing yards, one touchdown, and the one interception.

Grossman gained a first down on a QB sneak, one of four first downs Chicago gained on the ground. Thomas Jones threw a desperation pass that Grossman caught for minus four yards.

RB Thomas Jones, Pass: 1 - 1 - -4 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 21 - 63 - 0, Rec: 1 - 0 - 0 (1 targets)

Jones started the game for Chicago and carried the ball 14 times before halftime. In the second half, he gave way to Cedric Benson as Chicago continued to try and run the ball, eat up clock, and keep Green Bay off the field. Most of his carries were between the tackles, which Green Bay was ready for, but he did break off a 17 yard run when he cut off left tackle.

Jones avoided taking a loss on a running play by throwing to Grossman who was minding his own business on the far sideline. Play resulted in a penalty, Grossman was ineligible, but the Packers took the play and the four yard loss.

RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 11 - 34 - 0 (2 targets)

Benson was kept out of the game in the first half, but got the majority of work in the second half. He missed the entire preseason with a shoulder injured suffered in practice, and finished this game with 11 carries for 34 yards.

RB Jason McKie, Rush: 3 - 10 - 0, Rec: 4 - 26 - 0 (4 targets)

The bruising fullback caught four passes for 26 yards, and carried the ball three times for another ten. He is the primary blocking back for Jones and Benson.

WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 6 - 102 - 0 (6 targets)

Muhammad lost a few pounds in the off season and looks much faster than last year. He still has great hands and offers Grossman an inviting target. He was able to out muscle the shorter Green Bay corner Charles Woodson, and found ways to get open when his quarterback got flushed from the pocket.

WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 1 - 49 - 1 (2 targets)

On the first Chicago drive of the game, Berrian broke wide open down the middle and Grossman hit him in stride to complete the 49 yard touchdown. It was the only offensive touchdown in the game.

WR Rashied Davis (1 targets)

Davis caught one pass, which set up the Bears with a first down at the Green Bay 11 yard line.

TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 5 - 77 - 0 (7 targets)

Clark caught five passes and proved to be Grossman’s favorite target this game. His 77 receiving yards were an integral part of the Chicago strategy to spread the ball around and control the clock.

PK Robbie Gould 4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points

Gould was a perfect four for four on field goal attempts, and converted both of his extra points.

CHI Rush Defense

The Bears returned all eleven starters from last year, including five players who went to the Pro Bowl. Ahman Green still gained over 100 yards, but the game was never in doubt.

CHI Pass Defense

Chicago kept pressure on Favre all day long, sacking him three times and picking him off twice late in the game.

QB Brett Favre, Pass: 15 - 29 - 170 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0

Favre had a difficult time keeping his team on the field. Donald Driver was again his favorite target, but the heavy Chicago pass rush prevented him from completing a high percentage of his passes. They tried to roll him away from defensive pressure which enabled him to only get sacked three times. Favre still had to throw in a hurry, which accounts for his low completion percentage, and he was often hit after the pass was away. In a characteristic fashion, Favre threw two interceptions late in the game when he was trying to mount some sort of scoring drive.

Favre was stopped on a fourth and one quarterback sneak in the second quarter on the Chicago 44 yard line. The Bears took over on downs.

RB Ahman Green, Rush: 20 - 110 - 0, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (4 targets)

The Green Bay workhorse was back at it after an injury shortened his 2005 campaign. He gained 110 yards on a great run defense, and caught three passes for another 22 yards. Green carried the ball a total of 20 times, including Green Bay’s first play of the game, and the very last with 21 seconds on the clock.

RB Samkon Gado, Rush: 2 - -7 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets)

Gado lost seven yards on two carries, caught one pass for five yards, but did average 19 yards on three kickoff returns.

RB Noah Herron, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (1 targets)

Herron was part of the Packers’ most successful play in the first half, a fake punt. He made a juggling catch of a pass from punter Jon Ryan and dashed down the sideline to the Bears’ 39 yard line.

WR Donald Driver, Rec: 7 - 96 - 0 (11 targets)

Driver was able to beat double coverage all day long, and Favre just kept throwing to him. Driver was targeted twice as often as any other receiver, a trend bound to continue all season. Without a clear number two receiver in Green Bay, however, he will continue to be the focal point of opposing pass defenses.

WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (5 targets)

Ferguson managed to catch two passes for 17 yards, but had a tough time getting open, and a tougher time hanging onto the ball. He did catch an important seven yard pass on fourth and five to keep a drive alive in the fourth quarter.

WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (3 targets)

The rookie sensation from Western Michigan caught his first NFL pass in the fourth quarter. He is listed as the number two WR on the Packers’ depth chart, but was targeted less than Ferguson in this game.

TE Donald Lee, Rec: 1 - 25 - 0 (1 targets)

Lee only caught one pass, a 25 yard strike down the middle in the second quarter.

PK Dave Rayner 0 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 0 points

Rayner missed his only attempt, from 53 yards out, at the end of the first half.

GB Rush Defense

Green Bay played remarkably well against the Bears’ rushing attack. They held the Chicago runners to a collective three yard per carry average and stopped four drives deep in the own end, giving up four field goal attempts instead of touchdowns. With the Packers’ offense unable to pick up first downs, the defense was left out on the field much of the afternoon.

GB Pass Defense

Rex Grossman hit seven different receivers as the Packers seemed more focused on the Chicago ground attack. Bernard Berrian caught a 49 yard TD pass in the first quarter, and Grossman totaled 262 yards on the day. Nick Barnett did manage to intercept a pass in the end zone to thwart the second Chicago drive, and the Packers registered two quarterback sacks, but one was wiped out by a penalty.