During a game where NFL ownership is on the line, Aaron Rodgers surely knows how to deliver. In a wild Sunday Night Football matchup, the Green Bay Packers (10-3, 3-1 NFC North) topped their division rival, the Chicago Bears (4-9, 2-2 NFC North), 45-30 at Lambeau Field.

The Packers won the toss and deferred, so the Bears were the first to take the field Sunday night. On their opening drive, they found a bit of early momentum after rookie quarterback Justin Fields saw a gap and rushed for 8 yards and the first down on 3^rd and 5, and then connected with team-leading wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a 19-yard pickup on the next play for another first down. However, the hype was quickly killed by Green Bay’s defense after safety Henry Black produced a key pass break up on 3^rd and 7 to force Chicago to punt.

On their opening drive, the Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers were on and off the field even quicker than the Bears. On 2^nd and 5, Rodgers was sacked by linebacker Robert Quinn for loss of 11 yards and the green and yellow couldn’t make up the yards on the next play and were forced to punt.

I could just stop writing at this point because Quinn decided to mock the belt right in front of Rodgers’ face and we all know that meant the Packers were walking away with an automatic win but, because I love you, I will continue.

After Green Bay’s good ole special teams unit gave up a 34-yard punt return, Chicago only had 44 yards to go to find the endzone and they took advantage. On 3^rd and 5, Fields connected with wide receiver Allen Robinson for 8 yards to keep the chains moving. Then, on 2^nd and 9, running back David Montgomery rushed for 20 yards to quickly propel the Bears into the red zone. After that, on 2^nd and goal, defensive end Kingsley Keke was flagged for an illegal hands to the face penalty which gifted Chicago an automatic first down and brought them within the five. But, on 2^nd and goal again, the Bears were flagged for a false start and had to move back to the 8-yard line. From there, they couldn’t recover after a major dropped pass on third down and were forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal. Their attempt was good, and Chicago took a 3-0 lead.

With the ball now back in Green Bay’s court, the special teams unit continued to give Packers’ fans worldwide a massive headache. On the kickoff, the Bears’ kick was sailing out of bounds, but Packers kick returner Malik Taylor decided to try and catch it anyways and dropped it out of bounce, costing Green Bay 35 yards.

Backed up in their own territory, running back Aaron Jones got things rolling for the Packers after rushing for 15 yards and the first down on 1^st and 10. Then, on 2^nd and 9, Rodgers was sacked for the second time of the evening which resulted in a 9-yard loss for Green Bay. However, this time, the Packers bounced back quickly on 3^rd and 19 after Rodgers lofted one deep down field and found wide receiver Allen Lazard for a 32-yard pickup to move the chains. But the hype of the big play didn’t last long after the Packers couldn’t find something on their next three plays and were, once again, forced to punt.  

On their next drive, the Bears took full advantage of the Packers’ slow start. On 2^nd and 2, Montgomery rushed for 3 yards and a first down. Then, on 2^nd and 7, running back Damien Williams got involved and moved the chains with an 8-yard rush. After that, Green Bay gifted Chicago 15 free yards after cornerback Rasul Douglas was flagged for a questionable pass interference call. And, just went things seemed like they couldn’t get worse for the Packers, they did. Just two plays later on 2^nd and 4, Fields found wide receiver Jakeem Grant on a short pass play, and he zipped past all of the Packers’ defense and took off for a 46-yard touchdown. Chicago’s extra point attempt was good, and they extended their lead over Green Bay to 10-0 just minutes into the second quarter.

When the Packers needed to make a big play, they put their trust in star wide receiver Davante Adams and he came through. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury, on 3^rd and 3, Adams came up huge with a 12-yard catch to move the chains for a first down. From there, tight end Josiah Deguara entered the chat for a big play and picked up 25 yards and a first down. After the Packers took their first timeout of the half, Jones erupted out of the backfield for 11 yards on 1^st and 10 to keep things rolling. Then, Rodgers showed off his stuff with a masterful fake handoff that tricked everyone in Lambeau and watching at home and connected with veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis for 12 yards and a first down. Then, after failing to find the end zone on three straight attempts, the Packers went for it on 4^th and 2 and Rodgers connected with Lazard for a touchdown to cut the Bears’ lead to 10-7.

Green Bay wouldn’t have to trail for much longer either. On 3^rd and 3 on Chicago’s next drive, Douglas jumped the route and picked off Fields and took it back 55 yards to the house to put the Packers on top 14-10.

From that moment on, things took an absolutely crazy turn.

Just as fast as Green Bay took the lead, Chicago would retake it after Fields connected with wide receiver Damiere Byrd just three plays later on 3^rd and 4 for a 54-yard touchdown play to go back up 17-14.

Desperate to try and respond, the Packers continued to put the pressure on the Bears with just over three minutes remaining in the half. On 2^nd and 10, Rodgers connected with Lewis for a 20-yard gain and a first down to move the chains for the Packers. However, offensive tackle Billy Turner went down with a knee injury and was quickly ruled out for the game. To make matters worse, to open the two-minute drill, Adams was flagged for offensive pass interference on third down and Green Bay was forced to punt.

Not only did the Packers fail to get any points on the drive, but the absolute dumpster fire that was Green Bay’s special teams unit on Sunday night continued to go up in flames. On the punt return, even though it appeared Grant was pinned deep in Chicago territory, he somehow escaped and took off for 97 yards and a touchdown to extend the Bears’ lead to 24-14. According to the NBC broadcast, it was the first punt return for a touchdown this season in the NFL.  

Despite the gut punch and disgusting performance from special teams, the Packers weren’t going down without a fight in the first half of this rivalry matchup. Less than a minute into their next offensive drive, Rodgers looked deep down the left side of the field and connected with Adams for 38 yards and a touchdown to cut the Bears’ lead to 24-21 with seconds remaining in the first half.

Just before the half, Green Bay’s special teams gave up another 40+ yard return, but luckily the defense was able to hold Chicago to only a field goal. The Bears’ 44-yard attempt as time expired was good, and they extended their lead over the Packers to 27-21 after two quarters of this rollercoaster.   

Despite the noise, Green Bay continued to battle and opened up the second half with a nearly perfect touchdown drive to retake the lead. To open the half, running back AJ Dillon rushed for 11 yards and a first down to move the chains. Then, Rodgers connected with Adams for 12 and 16 yards, respectively, to pick up back-to-back first downs. From there, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling got involved and picked up 8 yards on 2^nd and 2 to move the chains for the Packers and push them into the red zone. After that, Dillon continued to run strong and picked up 11 more yards before passing it off to Jones who finished the drive by rushing 3 yards for a touchdown. Crosby’s extra point attempt was good, and the Packers took a 28-27 lead.

After that, things continued to go pretty much perfectly for the Packers in the second half. On 2^nd and 5 for the Bears, linebacker Preston Smith got to Fields and forced a fumble and linebacker Rashan Gary was there to recover it at Chicago’s 23-yard line. On the very next play, Rodgers displayed more trickery and dropped one in the bucket over a defender for Jones for a 23-yard touchdown to extend Green Bay’s lead to 35-27.

The fun continued for the 78,000+ fans at Lambeau and at home too after the Packers’ d-train forced a three and out on the Bears’ next possession.

On the Packers’ next offensive drive, they continued to stay in rhythm with a little help along the way. On 1^st and 10, Rodgers connected with Adams right out of the gate for 16 yards and a first down. From there, Lazard had a little fun off the jet sweep and picked up 14 yards and drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Bears to gain an extra 8 yards while moving the chains for the Packers. However, it wasn’t enough in the end after Green Bay came up just about 2 yards short of the end zone on third down and the Packers looked to Crosby for a 20-yard field goal to extend their lead. His attempt was good and Green Bay extended their lead to 38-27.

With just minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Packers continued to dominate on both sides of the ball and the defense forced another Bears three and out. However, after that, their hot streak ran out and they went three and out themselves after Rodgers was sacked on first down and they could not recover.

To open the fourth quarter, Green Bay’s special teams continued to put on a truly laughable performance with a 22-yard punt. Luckily, the Packers’ defense held the Bears to another three and out and the ball was safely back in Aaron Rodgers’ hands within minutes. Green Bay had a bit of a scare on the punt return though (thanks again, special teams!) after Amari Rodgers muffed the punt and Chicago returned it for a touchdown. However, they were bailed out and the Bears had to redo the play after one of their players was ruled out of bounds.

The Packers made sure the Bears regretted their mistake, too. On their “dagger” drive, Green Bay ascended 71 yards down the field and methodically shaved 8:38 off the clock to just about seal the deal in this one. On 3^rd and 2, Rodgers connected with Adams for 8 yards and a first down to move the chains. After that, Dillon rushed for 6 yards on 2^nd and 4 to keep the drive alive. Lazard continued to get involved and, on 2^nd and 8, picked up 11 for the Packers. After that, Rodgers connected with Adams once more for a 4-yard pickup to put Green Bay in the red zone. From there, Adams lined up one-on-one with his man on 1^st and 10 and displayed his signature release to make a 3-yard touchdown catch to extend the Packers’ lead. Crosby’s extra point attempt was good, and the Packers went up 45-27.

The Bears were not going down without a fight in this rivalry game, though. With just over four minutes remaining, Fields started to heat up. On 1^st and 10, he scrambled for 11 yards and the first down. Then, on the next play, he connected with Montgomery for a short pass over the middle for a 13-yard play to move the chains. After that, on 3^rd and 10, Fields scrambled again and picked up 17 yards to keep the drive alive for Chicago. However, his strong play wasn’t enough, and the Bears decided to settle for a field goal with just over a minute remaining. Their 43-yard attempt was good, and they cut the Packers’ lead to our final score of 45-30.

To keep the game alive, Chicago attempted an onside kick and even recovered it after MVS bobbled the catch. However, cornerback Chandon Sullivan officially secured the win for Green Bay after he intercepted Fields with 53 seconds remaining in this entertaining Sunday Night Football matchup.

What we learned: The Packers still own the Bears

There is truly nothing like a Packers win over the Bears. Despite the slow start, once Green Bay got into their groove in the second half, this was such a fun game to watch (besides special teams, of course).

According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, with Rodgers’ second touchdown pass to Davante Adams on Sunday, he passed Brett Favre for most touchdown passes ever against the Bears, with 61 total.

I guess his statements back in week six weren’t too far off.

What went right: Second half

After a shaky first half all around for the Packers, things really took a turn for the best in the second half. From veteran play from both Adams and Rodgers, to the tenacious new playmakers on Green Bay’s defense like Douglas, Stokes and Campbell, the Packers looked like one of the league’s best in the second half (besides special teams, of course).

Although it took a little time for that bye week rust to wear off, I’m glad the Packers shook it off when they did.

What went wrong: Special teams

I don’t even want to talk about special teams. However, if I did, I would say that Drayton’s job is most definitely on the line because what unraveled Sunday night is beyond unacceptable.

It was a complete failure all around and against pretty much any other team that would’ve cost Green Bay the game. Seriously, I don’t even know what the answer is to fixing special teams, but they are just performing so poor all the time and it’s utterly painful to watch.

Offensive MVPs: Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams

Sunday was just a clinical night for 12 and 17. They continuously prove why they are the best duo in the game, and everyone got to see that in primetime this week.

According to ESPN stats, Rodgers finished the evening 29/37 and threw for 341 yards and 4 touchdowns while Adams tallied a team-high 10 receptions for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns.

These two are special.

Defensive MVP: Rasul Douglas

I am once again asking how Rasul Douglas was on the Cardinals PRACTICE SQUAD. He continues to get better every week for the Packers and it’s truly a joy to watch. What a steal for Gutey.

Douglas finished the day with 2 total tackles, 2 of which were solo, 2 pass deflections, 1 interception and a touchdown (ESPN stats).

Up next, the Green Bay Packers hit the road for a matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. With a win, despite what happens around the league, the Packers can clinch the NFC North. Kickoff is set for Sunday, December 19 at 4:25 p.m. EST from M&T Bank Stadium.