GREEN BAY – The Packers' offense scored three second-half touchdowns on a record-setting night for QB Aaron Rodgers, and Green Bay pulled away from Chicago for a 26-10 victory on Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
The Packers improved to 4-2 with the win and have a trip to NFC South leader Atlanta in 10 days.
Rodgers set a franchise record with 39 pass completions in a game. He had 56 attempts, the second-most of his career, for 326 yards and three touchdowns. He beat the previous mark of 36 by Brett Favre, coincidentally also against the Bears back in 1993.
WR Davante Adams had career highs in all categories with 13 catches for 132 yards and two TDs. His 13 receptions tied him for second on the franchise's single-game list, behind only Don Hutson's 14. It was Adams' first career two-TD game.
WR Randall Cobb added 11 catches (tying his career high) for 95 yards with a score, while WR Ty Montgomery had 126 yards from scrimmage, with nine rushes for 60 yards and 10 receptions for 66 more.
For the Bears, QBs Matt Barkley took over for Brian Hoyer in the first half after Hoyer broke his left arm. Barkley finished 6-of-15 for 81 yards with two interceptions.
Here's a quarter-by-quarter recap of the action.
Fourth quarter:
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers hit WR Davante Adams for a 7-yard TD pass, pushing Green Bay's lead to 20-10. It was Adams' 12th catch of the game, and he and WR Ty Montgomery combined for 77 of the 84 offensive yards on the TD drive. Adams also has two TD catches for the first time in his career.
The Green Bay defense responded with a three-and-out, as DT Mike Pennel batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage on first down.
Runs of 8 and 14 yards by WR Randall Cobb both moved the chains, and then Rodgers hit Adams for 16 yards to get the Packers into scoring territory. Rodgers scrambled for 8 yards on third-and-6 to make it first-and-goal on the 4, and on third down, Rodgers hit Cobb for a 2-yard TD. It was Rodgers' 37th pass completion of the game, setting a Packers franchise record and beating Brett Favre's 36 completions, also vs. the Bears back in 1993.
K Mason Crosby was wide right on the extra point, his first missed kick of the season. It was from 38 yards out after a false-start penalty on the Packers. Green Bay led 26-10 with 5:35 to go.
Packers LB Blake Martinez intercepted Bears QB Matt Barkley on Chicago's next possession off a deflection by S Morgan Burnett. The Packers attempted to add a 31-yard field goal by Crosby with 1:36 left, but it was blocked.
The Packers did add another interception, as LB Nick Perry picked off a tipped Barkley pass with 41 seconds to go.
Third quarter:
The Packers took a 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter over the Bears and were in goal-to-go as the third quarter expired on Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
The second half started disastrously for the Packers. On the third snap, Bears LB Leonard Floyd sacked QB Aaron Rodgers and knocked the ball loose, recovering it in the end zone for a Chicago touchdown just 30 seconds into the third quarter. K Connor Barth's extra point gave the Bears their first lead at 10-6.
WR Ty Montgomery got the Packers going again with a 30-yard run to start the next drive. Catches of 6 yards by Montgomery and 18 by WR Randall Cobb both converted third downs, and another third-down throw to Montgomery was upheld as a complete pass after the Bears challenged, making it first-and-goal on the 5.
On third-and-goal, Rodgers threw quickly to Adams to his right, and Adams worked around DB De'Vante Bausby for the TD grab. K Mason Crosby's PAT put the Packers back in front, 13-10, with 9:11 left in the third.
The Packers won a big replay challenge on the Bears' next drive. LB Nick Perry was awarded a sack on a replay reversal after QB Matt Barkley had initially been ruled to have thrown an incomplete pass before he was down. The sack, giving Perry 5 ½ on the season, set up third-and-19, which became third-and-29 after back-to-back Bears penalties, and Chicago had to punt.
The Packers went right back on the attack. Passes of 7, 15 and 24 yards to Adams, along with runs of 3 and 11 yards by Montgomery got the Packers into scoring range. Rodgers then hit Montgomery for a 13-yard gain, making it first-and-goal on the 8.
Second quarter:
A late second-quarter field goal gave the Packers a 6-3 lead over the Bears at halftime on Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
Starting from their own 1-yard line, the Bears drove out to midfield with the help of an 11-yard pass to WR Alshon Jeffery and a defensive pass interference call on DB Micah Hyde. But LBs Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers sandwiched QB Brian Hoyer on a third-down pass, and the defense got the stop. Hoyer was slow to get up.
The Packers picked up one first down but didn't get very far, and QB Matt Barkley took over for Hoyer for the Bears. Hoyer was declared out for the rest of the game.
RB Ka'Deem Carey started the drive with a 24-yard run, and Jeffery caught an 11-yard pass to move the chains again. A 9-yard run by RB Jordan Howard got Chicago into field-goal range, and K Connor Barth was good on a 39-yard field goal to tie the score at 3 with 1:56 left in the half.
With one more possession in the half, the Packers picked up a first down on a pass interference penalty that brought the ball out near midfield, but LB Leonard Floyd sacked QB Aaron Rodgers for a 9-yard loss. Rodgers then hit WR Davante Adams for a 19-yard gain and then connected with WR Randall Cobb for gains of 7 and 13 for a first down on the Chicago 22 with 35 seconds left.
On third down, Rodgers hit Cobb in the back of the end zone, but Cobb couldn't get his second foot down in bounds, and K Mason Crosby made a 40-yard field goal with 17 seconds left.
Just before halftime, it was announced that Bears T Kyle Long is questionable to return with an arm injury.
First quarter:
The Packers jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Bears after one quarter on Thursday night at Lambeau Field but could have been ahead by more.
The Packers got on the board first. After the defense got a three-and-out to begin the game, the offense went work, driving 13 plays and 53 yards for a field goal.
QB Aaron Rodgers connected twice with WR Randall Cobb for 21 yards total, and twice with WR Davante Adams for 15 more. On fourth-and-4 from the Chicago 29, the Packers decided to go for it, and WR Jordy Nelson's 9-yard reception moved the chains. The drive stalled there, though, as a third-down pass into the end zone for Cobb was broken up by Bears DB Cre'Von LeBlanc, and the Packers had to settle for K Mason Crosby's 32-yard field goal.
The Bears picked up one first down on their next possession on a 25-yard pass from QB Brian Hoyer to WR Joshua Bellamy, but the defense got the stop after that. LB Julius Peppers deflected a second-down pass at the line of scrimmage, and Hoyer overthrew Bellamy deep down the middle on third down.
The Packers got right back to work. Passes of 12 yards to WR Ty Montgomery, 7 yards to WR Jeff Janis and 12 yards to Adams got the offense moving. Then Rodgers tried a deep shot to Nelson, and Bears DB Adrian Amos was flagged for pass interference, good for a 44-yard gain. An 8-yard pass to Montgomery made it first-and-goal on the 10, and Montgomery ran 7 yards to the 3.
Janis nearly scored but was dragged down at the 1 on a 2-yard reception, setting up fourth-and-goal. The Packers went for it, but Montgomery was stopped on a running play, and the Bears took over on their own 1.
