CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO/AP) — Aaron Rodgers threw for four touchdowns, breaking his franchise record for scoring passes in a season, and Green Bay clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC by beating the playoff-bound Chicago Bears 35-16 on Sunday.
The Packers (13-3) earned a bye while winning their sixth in a row and beat Chicago (8-8) for the 19th time in 22 games, counting the postseason.
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The Bears are headed to the playoffs for the second time in coach Matt Nagy’s three years despite the loss, because Arizona fell to the Los Angeles Rams. Chicago will be at New Orleans (12-4) at Sunday at 4:40 p.m. EST.
The Bears are the third team since the 1970 merger to reach the playoffs after losing six in a row. The Monsters of the Midway bounced back by winning three straight against struggling teams. But against Green Bay, the result was a familiar one.
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Mitchell Trubisky went 33 for 42 with 252 yards and an interception.
Rookie Darnell Mooney set career highs with 11 catches and 93 yards before leaving early in the fourth period with an ankle injury. He was hurt when he was tackled going out of bounds after a catch.
David Montgomery ran for 69 yards and a touchdown and caught nine passes for 63 yards. Cairo Santos made all three field goals, extending his streak to a franchise-record 27. The Bears also lost linebacker Roquan Smith to an elbow injury.
But they'll play at least one more game.
“The season didn’t go the way we envision it, but we have another opportunity," Trubisky said. "It’s got to be our best week. It’s got to be my best week."
WBBM Newsradio's Rick Gregg and Pat Cassidy spoke to Bears coach Matt Nagy following their loss to Green Bay.
Gregg: Let's talk real quick about the Packers game first. You had six different receivers catch balls, you won time of possession, little bit more red zone success the score might have been different, you might not have needed the help from the west coast.
"Yeah, no I totally agree with you. I think that game plan, as far as how we approached it, I thought it went pretty well. The problem is, like you said, we weren't effective in the red zone yesterday, so moving the ball, getting time of possession, you like that. Offensively, we have to be better in the red zone, which you have more touchdowns, you have more points, and you have a chance against a great offense, like they have," Nagy said.
Cassidy: Always tough to lose to the Packers, but playing New Orleans, who you played tough earlier this year. Last night you were sounding kind of bummed out after the game, but how are you feeling this morning about the look ahead?
"It's exciting. Yesterday, you get emotional, because so much is involved in that, but now, like we said, it's a fresh start, it's a new day," Nagy said. "It's exciting working on New Orleans right now, and working towards them. You fix what went wrong yesterday and you start getting back on track with these guys, and so it's exciting that we are in the playoffs and I am excited for our players and coaches."
Gregg: The vibe I got out of the locker room last night, maybe you didn't get it, was a vibe of gratitude and a little bit of humility. They know they didn't win their way in, but they are in the playoffs. Everyone goes back to 0-0.
"Yeah, that's right and that's real," Nagy said. "We all understand it. Now anything could happen. Once you get into it, now anything can happen. What we have to do is have a great mindset, really do a great job of mentally getting prepared, have a great week of practice, and then go play our game. We worked really hard to get to this point after that six-game losing streak and so that is probably what you felt from the players, and if any of the coaches, is that these guys they earned this and now its 0-0, like you said, and let's go play some football."
Gregg: You get New Orleans, a team you have seen once before. What about that Week 8 game still applies, if anything?
"Yeah, well if you look at them, they are really well-coached, they have great players on both sides of the ball, that defense is playing fast...you take all that and realize you go into overtime, unfortunately we don't win in overtime. It's an advantage for both teams when you have played each other, and we both are a little bit different now with how we play, so that is part of the chess match and the matchup of going into this weekend," Nagy said.
You can hear more from Matt Nagy on the Bears Coaches Show on Mondays at 7 p.m.
The Chicago Bears travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints on Sunday at 3:40 p.m. CST for the NFL Wild Card round.