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| ATL at ARI | BAL at SEA | CLE at CIN | DAL at CAR | DEN at SD | GB at CHI | HOU at IND | KC at DET |
| MIA at NE | NYG at BUF | NYJ at TEN | OAK at JAX | PHI at NO | PIT at STL | TB at SF | WAS at MIN |
Week 16 Game Recap: Green Bay Packers 7, Chicago Bears 35
What you need to know
| Green Bay Packers |
Brett Favre was quoted as saying before the games that the conditions on the field were the worst he had seen in his career. Favre, and the rest of the Green Bay Packers, sure lived up to the expectations that quote set. The Packers had two punts blocked, and had another one shanked that effectively took them out of the game in the second half.
Favre struggled all day, both with the wind and with gripping the ball. Favre dropped the ball a couple of times, as well as having one snap go over his head, and another roll between his legs. It was difficult for him to hit receivers in stride.
Ryan Grant was the lone highlight for the Packers. With the windy conditions, the Packers leaned on the running game in the first half. He had mixed success, until he broke a nice 66 yard touchdown scamper. However, when the score got out of hand in the second half, the Packers abandoned the running game and he did not get many chances to add to his total.
Nine different receivers caught passes for the Packers, but none had a significant game. Donald Driver led the team with four receptions, and Greg Jennings led them with 42 yards.
| Chicago Bears |
Kyle Orton and the Chicago Bears handled the windy conditions of Soldier Field much better than the Green Bay Packers. The Bears started the game with an 18 play drive ending in a 31 yard Robbie Gould field goal. The Bears kept the Packers on their heels for the rest of the first half with Green Bay's struggling kicking game.
Kyle Orton started strong completing a number of key 3rd down conversions on their first drive. The Bears game plan was obviously to run the ball however, as Orton finished with just 14 pass attempts on the day.
Adrian Peterson was the workhorse of the team, carrying the ball 22 times in the first half. Most of his runs were short, as the Packers knew the Bears would run the ball, but he consistently picked up chunks of yardage and kept the chains moving.
No receiver caught more than two balls, and Garrett Wolfe was the leading receiver due to his 33 yard screen pass to go along with one other shorter reception.
What you ought to know
| QB Brett Favre, Pass: 17 - 32 - 153 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0 |
Favre struggled all afternoon with the cold, windy weather. That does sound strange for a player with Favre's history and Lambeau field, but Favre did state the pre-game conditions were the worst he'd seen in his career. The win definitely threw him off his game as he struggled to get the ball to his receivers. His teammates' struggles with the ball didn't help either. One snap went over his head. Another, the center rolled on the ground and never got up to him. Yet another, later in the game, was low and Favre simply had to fall on it. Favre also threw two interceptions, one of which was returned 85 yards for a touchdown. These types of miscues, as well as the Packers' inability to convert first downs resulted in limited opportunities for Favre, as he finished with just 153 yards and no scores.
| RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 14 - 100 - 1, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) |
Grant started off the game strong with a nice run to the right, and cutting back to the middle for a 24 yard gain. The Packers punted, but a few series later, Grant ripped off a 66 yard touchdown run. That was effectively the end of the day for Grant, as the score quickly got out of hand in the second half, and the running game was abandoned. Grant did reach 100 yards despite carrying the ball just 14 times.
| WR Donald Driver, Rec: 4 - 32 - 0 (6 targets) |
Driver's success, or lack thereof, was dictated by Favre's struggles. Driver was open on a number of plays, but the windy conditions prevented the ball from getting to him. Also, both of Favre's interceptions were on passes intended for Driver.
| WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 3 - 42 - 0 (5 targets) |
Jennings opportunities were limited. Brett Favre's struggles with the conditions, and the teams general lack of ability to move the ball prevented as many passing attempts as the Packers usually enjoy. The Packers also did not try to stretch the field with deep passes, limited Jennings chances for a big play.
| TE Donald Lee, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (4 targets) |
Lee was targeted a number of times, but managed to haul in just one two yard reception.
| PK Mason Crosby 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points |
Crosby hit his only kicking opportunity of the day, which was an extra point.
| GB Rush Defense |
The Packers struggled to get off the field, and despite knowing the Bears were going to run the ball, consistently yielded chunks of yardage.
| GB Pass Defense |
The Packers' pass defense was not tested significantly with the Bears throwing the ball just 14 times. However, the Bears were efficient in the passing game, and the Packers were unable to make any plays defensively.
| QB Kyle Orton, Pass: 8 - 14 - 101 - 1 TD / 0 INT |
Kyle Orton played extremely well given the game conditions. He did exactly what was asked of him, taking care of the ball. He spent most of the day handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe, but he was able to make a number of third down plays to keep drives alive. His numbers on the day would have been even better, had Muhsin Muhammad held on to the ball that hit him in the chest in the end zone.
| RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 30 - 102 - 1, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) |
Peterson was the workhorse of the Chicago offense. The Packers knew the Bears were going to run, but still had trouble consistently stopping him. While his longest run of the day was for 21 yards, most of his carriers were picking up 2, 3 and 4 yards at a time. Due to the weather conditions, a large part of the field was four down territory, giving Peterson extra opportunities.
| TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 2 - 13 - 1 (3 targets) |
Clark made the most of his three targets, catching one for ten yards. The other was the lone Bear passing touchdown of the game. Lined up in a power formation, Clark released into the back of the end zone and was wide open for Orton to drop the ball into his hands.
| PK Robbie Gould 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points |
Gould was perfect on the day hitting field goals or 31 and 35 yards, and all three of his extra points.
| CHI Rush Defense |
The Bears rush defense was solid but unspectacular against the Packers running game. For most of the game, they held Grant in check, but they did give up two big plays, including a 66 yard touchdown run.
| CHI Pass Defense |
The Bears pass defense was tough against Favre, but they had the help of the weather conditions on their side. They did make plays of their own, however, intercepting Favre twice, returning one for a touchdown.
