Very kind and Midwestern of the Packers to see the Bears missing their starting quarterback and lose their own. A backup’s duel between Josh McCown and Seneca Wallace isn’t exactly what anyone was hoping for when this game was scheduled, though the result turned out to be better than that description would suggest.
McCown was halfway decent. Wallace less so. To both teams’ credit, it should be said, they were aggressive in their decision making. There was a surprise onside kick. Offenses were willing to go for it on 4th down.
Ah, the things coaches are willing to try when they have faith that the opponent’s backup QB won’t punish them too harshly if they fail.
There’s no conclusive report out yet on Aaron Rodger’s condition (UPDATE: Schefter reports it’s a small collarbone fracture that could leave him out for three weeks), but there is plenty of misinformation and speculation if you’re willing to settle for that. While it sucks to any player injured, Rodgers going down had a positive effect on last night being more watchable. The way the Packers moved the ball on the one drive he was in, they probably win by at least two scores if Rodgers plays the rest of the way. As it was, a competitive game throughout.
Also, Rodger’s injury produced this quote from Jon Gruden on the quarterback’s impact to his team:
“If there’s one irreplaceable quarterback in this league, Aaron Rodgers is one of them.”
Indeed.
Left to his own devices without his superstar QB, Mike McCarthy is bound to be doing lots of this. We’ll credit for the surprise onside kick. I know that’s easy to say because it worked, but it was still surprising and daring in context. Also, the Bears made it easy on him by not being able to stop the run all night, despite Green Bay having a quarterback no one believed could hurt them. The clock management at the end of the fourth quarter was remarkably awful. The Bears were killing clock and settling for a field goal with 2:40 left while Green Bay had all three timeouts. McCarthy waited until the clock got inside two minutes before he started using his timeouts. The result: the Packers didn’t get the ball back until there was less than a minute remaining, needing a touchdown.
Wootton got a critical sack of Seneca Wallace on that last desperate Packers drive to seal the game, then broke out the robot dance that was a fixture oN the Chappelle Show.
Let’s go over all the ways this reception by James Jones is the luckiest play ever.
1. The pass should have been intercepted by James Anderson.
2. Instead, it somehow deflects into the arms of James Jones.
3. James Jones proceeds to fumble, only to fall on his own fumble.
4. James Jones walks to the sideline and discovers a winning Powerball ticket.
The Bears wideouts had some impressive TD catches. I’d say this first one by Brandon Marshall edges out the TD catch by Alshon Jeffery, especially because it was ruled that Tramon Williams interfered with Marshall on the play.
I almost felt bad for Blake Costanzo on the Packers onside kick, but I’m by nature unable to sympathize with anyone named Blake. Anyway, not only did Costanzo have his hands on the ball jumping in the air to recover it, it almost rolled into his hands as he slumped on the ground, only to be batted away to a Packers player. Womp womp.
I’m sure it’s only in response to how much they’ve been criticized for shamelessly trying to polish the turds they’ve broadcast over the years, but ESPN can still be commended for being honest and calling a terrible game a terrible game this season. Mike Tirico was eager to rip the Vikings-Giants game a few weeks back and it already tearing into the Dolphins-Buccaneers shitshow coming next week. That said, I’m not sure how you’d put a happy face on that game.
The cameramen showed these Bears fans wearing cheese graters on their heads enough times for it to lose its novelty during Monday Night Football, but it’s still a clever get-up.
Sorry, kid. It’s not getting better. Anyone who would put you in that monstrosity doesn’t have your best interests in mind. The little girl next to you can tell.
Not only am I not sure what the “fence painter” thing is and why I should care. All I can focus on how this head piece is bringing death to the man’s neck. No coincidence he was caught outside the stadium. You try to wear that thing inside, you’re knocking the fans seated on both sides of you.
At one point coming out of a commercial break, the PA and fans at Lambeau Field were singing “Sweet Caroline”. Why? WHY WHY WHY? Not only is this cribbing another terrible fan base’s tradition, but it’s self-righteous Packers fans cribbing the ritual of one of the few fan bases in sports more noxious than them. You don’t have to try this hard to make us dislike you, Green Bay.
I love how pointless it was for Adam Schefter to read aloud Richie Incognito’s incriminating voicemails to Jonathan Martin on air. Not only is it funny to hear horrible sentiments read in Schefter’s robotic deadpan, but half of it had to be edited just to make it on air. Why even bother?