By Adam Roberts – 11/30/2020
I know many people don’t like prevent defense late in blowout games. Believe me, I don’t either. I prefer to see a complete, sixty minute start-to-finish blowout to cement in my head that a team is as good as we think they are.
That being said, last night’s 41-25 Packers win over Chicago was essentially a 41-10 victory. The result was expected going into the evening, and for once, Green Bay actually didn’t play down to an opponent.
If you take out the fourth quarter, Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was not great in his return to the starting role. Entering the fourth, he had 130 yards passing, a 1-yard touchdown toss, two interceptions, and a lost fumble taking by Preston Smith into the endzone. While run defense STILL has not been figured out by Mike Pettine and the Packers, Trubisky was playing from behind from the get-go, and in modern day football an inept quarterback cannot win games.
Conversely, the Packer offense put up their second-highest point total of the season behind four touchdown tosses by Aaron Rodgers along with 189 yards on the ground. Aaron Jones rushed for 90 yards followed by Jamaal Williams with 73. Williams also had a nice touchdown in the third quarter muscling off would-be tacklers up the middle.
The win puts the Packers up three games in the NFC North with five games remaining. Green Bay next gets Carson Wentz/Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.
INJURY NEWS
Center Corey Linsley left the game with a hamstring injury, but according to head coach Matt LaFleur it does not appear to be a season-ending situation. Credit should be given to Elgton Jenkins, who stepped in and played center the rest of the game. Jenkins has now played at every position on the O-Line, and has proven to be an underrated but valuable asset for a Packers offensive front that has played great over the last two games. Safety Darnell Savage also left the game with a back injury after recording two interceptions of Trubisky; his status going forward is unknown.