GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBBM NEWSRADIO/AP) — Aaron Rodgers helped the Green Bay Packers get another big win against the rival Chicago Bears and move closer to their second straight NFC North title.
Rodgers threw four touchdown passes as the Packers rolled to a 41-25 victory over the slumping Bears on Sunday night. Green Bay improved its overall record in this series to 100-95-6, including a 20-5 mark against the Bears in games Rodgers has started.
“It’s special to be a part of this rivalry,” Rodgers said. “There’s few rivalries like this in all of sports — one or two in just about every league. This is one of the premier ones.”
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Green Bay (8-3) scored touchdowns on each of its first three possessions and grabbed a three-game division edge over Chicago (5-6) and Minnesota. Since winning five of their first six games, the Bears have dropped five straight.
“I just felt like they got after us the entire game from the first quarter until the very end,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "That’s basically where we’re at right now. Talked to the guys in the locker room afterwards. There’s guys that care. I think that’s what’s important to us.”
The Packers capitalized on mistakes by Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who was making his first start since the third week of the season. Trubisky threw three touchdown passes — including two to Allen Robinson — but also committed three turnovers that led to Packers touchdowns.
WBBM Newsradio's Rick Gregg and Pat Cassidy spoke to Bears coach Matt Nagy following the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Gregg: Did you like the defensive game playing you had going into it?
"Well you know obviously, stating the obvious at the end of the game, you wish you would've played a lot better than that in that aspect. I think the frustrating part there is the fact, as you said, you know before you look up and blink it's three touchdowns to a field goal, so the way that our defense has been playing all year that was unexpected, even going against a great offense and Aaron Rogers," Nagy said, "but what our guys need to understand is the magnitude of each ones of these games and what they mean and fast starts, and what is means to us as a team collectively to get fast starts; so that has to be our number one objective moving forward."
Cassidy: Well coach, always tough to lose, especially to the Packers, but Mitch Trubisky, three turnovers, three touchdowns, a little bit of a flow there. What did you think of his return as a starter? Did he do enough to keep the job?
"What I would say to that, after watching the film, is when you see the game and the flow and at one point we had five plays to start the game, we went right down the field and we weren't able to convert with the red zone on the first drive and we got a field goal, and before you know it, you look up and you have four more plays and there is three minutes to go in the half and so we had only run at that time 10, 11, 12 plays, so there wasn't much of a rhythm early on, because of the drives they were sustaining, and so other than that fumble where he dropped back and had the sack fumble with ball security, I thought his decision making early on was where it needed to be, but as we became one dimensional, we were just trying to play catch up, because we got behind so fast that again, his decision making was fine, the O-line played a much better game in regards to run game and protection, and in regards to moving forwards, those decisions we will continue to work through here in regard to Mitch and Nick," Nagy said.
Gregg: Coach, where do you go from here? This team was 5-1 vying for the best record in the league. Playoffs are still there but this ship has to turn around quick.
"Yeah for sure, that's right and I think what's important to understand for us is we have to find a way, whatever it is to win, and when you go through a losing streak like this, things can become monotonous and this is where you have to stay mentally strong more than anything, and when you have the opportunity to get out on the football field, at some point in time, you just have to say enough is enough," Nagy said. "We now are at that point where enough is enough and it's time we go out on the football field and perform and get a win to get back on track."
You can hear more from Matt Nagy on the Bears Coaches Show on Mondays at 7 p.m.
The Chicago Bears take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday at noon for Game 12.