By Canadian Press

Packers’ D, Aaron Rodgers beat Bears 10-3 in opener

Sep 7, 2019 | 8:42 PM

CHICAGO — Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have to lay waste to a defence to enjoy Packers football.

He sure had a good time seeing what his guys on the other side of the ball did Thursday night to the archrival Bears.

“Yeah, it was fun to watch,” Rodgers said after Green Bay opened the NFL’s 100th season with a 10-3 victory over Chicago. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a performance like that. Obviously, a lot of credit to Mike Pettine and his staff, but to those players, just incredible.

“We didn’t do them a whole lot of favours with our performance on offence. I mean every time we needed something a stop, they came up with some really big plays.”

It was a defensive battle also marked by sloppy offence and penalties. A lack of action in the preseason clearly damaged both offences, and Rodgers at times looked uncomfortable in the attack designed by new coach Matt LaFleur. But he is a two-time league MVP, and he hit Jimmy Graham in the second quarter for the only touchdown.

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That aggressive Green Bay defence would have made Vince Lombardi proud in the latest edition of the NFL’s longest rivalry, which the Packers lead 98-95-6. Green Bay has won 16 of the last 19 regular-season meetings, and Rodgers is 17-5.

Chicago’s defence hardly slacked, getting five sacks — tying the most it has had against Rodgers. But it could do little with the ball and the Packers had five sacks of Mitchell Trubisky, who never found his stride, and was sacked on Chicago’s final offensive play. Former Bears safety Adrian Amos picked off an end-zone pass into double coverage with 1:58 remaining, the only turnover of the contest.

“It feels real good,” Amos said. “It feels great to come back to win and how we did as a defence.”

Mason Crosby made a 39-yard field goal in the final period for Green Bay, while defending NFC North champion Chicago got a 38-yarder from Eddy Pineiro.

The NFL opted to go for a history-tinged opener rather than having the Super Bowl champions host the first game. New England will be at home to Pittsburgh on Sunday night, and it’s unlikely that game will be so dominated by D.

Or by mistakes.

Each team had 10 penalties, there was a total of 467 yards of only offence, and several drops. At one point, Chicago had three straight penalties to put it in a first-and-40. No, the Bears didn’t convert.

Still, take nothing away from either defence. They both controlled the line of scrimmage almost throughout the night, and Trubisky was particularly bothered by it, going 26 of 45 for 228 yards.

“Three points is ridiculous,” coach Matt Nagy said. “Any Chicago Bears fan … should be upset.”

Rodgers was 18 for 30 for 203 yards, hardly vintage A-Rod, and certainly unlike his performance in leading the Packers back from a 20-point hole in the second half of the 2018 opener against the Bears.

Of course, he had all that support Thursday night from the likes of newcomers Preston Smith (1 1/2 sacks), and Za’Darius Smith (a sack), enough to give Green Bay the boost it needed.

The opening series couldn’t have been uglier for Green Bay. A run and a pass netted zero yards, then Rodgers was sacked heavily by Roy Robertson-Harris for a 10-yard loss.

Well, maybe it could. Rodgers was sacked again on the next three-and-out and Chicago took over at the Packers 36 after a punt. Chicago had forced 17 yards in losses on those series, and the Packers had minus-12 yards through one period.

Rodgers erased such ineffectiveness quickly at the start of the second quarter, launching a 47-yard completion to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Two more completions got the Pack to the 8, and Graham did what most former basketball players turned tight ends should, winning a jump ball in the end zone.

By halftime, Green Bay had outgained Chicago 119 yards to 98.

GETTING THEIR KICKS

Bears fans rejoiced in relief on the first score of the season: Pineiro’s 38-yard first-quarter field goal. The last such kick on Soldier Field was Cody Parkey’s double-doink off the goalpost and crossbar that sent Chicago home from the wild-card round. Pineiro, a second-year player from Florida, was an immediate hero in the Windy City.

PASS INTERFERENCE REVIEW

LaFleur made an ill-advised challenge, claiming offensive pass interference on a catch by Chicago’s Taylor Gabriel. He lost in the first such challenge in NFL history after interference calls were added to replay reviews this season.

THIRD-DOWN FAILURES

Chicago was a pitiful 3 for 15 on third downs and 0 for 2 on fourth downs. Green Bay was even worse trying to convert, going 2 for 12 on third downs.

“I am not in panic mode,” Nagy said.

“It’s just we were uncharacteristic tonight of who we are as an offence,” added Trubisky. “We were rolling in practice and it just didn’t translate.”

UP NEXT:

Packers: Host Minnesota on Sept. 15.

Bears: At Denver on Sept. 15.

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Barry Wilner, The Associated Press