Brats & Beer

A Successful Bear Hunt

Good feelings and warm fuzzies abound across Packer Nation today. And why not? Mike McCarthy finally got his first meaningful win over the Chicago Bears, a season-saving victory that put Green Bay right in the thick of the division race. Getting back to .500 before Thanksgiving never felt so good.

But put aside the standings and the playoff implications of this win for a moment and savor the sweet taste of beating Chicago so completely. The 37-3 rout was the worst pounding the Packers had handed the Bears since 1994, almost making up for the 0-26 loss we suffered at the start of McCarthy’s rookie season. It wasn’t just a dominating performance: Green Bay imposed its will and the Bears could not resist. In the words of Chicago center Olin Kreutz, “It was a thorough beating … It wasn’t expected and nobody knows what happens on days like [Sunday], but they kicked our ass.” Yes!

What was most exciting, though, was seeing this Packers team motivated to win, rising to the challenge, and playing the kind of physical football we thought we’d see all season. The offensive line manhandled the Bears’ defense, allowing Ryan Grant to run for 145 yards and giving Aaron Rodgers the protection to slice and dice the secondary for 227 yards and two touchdowns. The defense heard the call as well and held Matt Forte to just 64 yards on 16 carries, limited the Bears to just nine first downs, and added a touchdown on Jason Hunter’s beautiful 54-yard fumble recovery.

One big rout is not enough, however; we need more. A lot more. Being in a three-way tie for first place in the division is just another way of saying we’re tied for second to last, so the Packers can’t let up now. Six games stand between Green Bay and another playoff berth, let’s hope the Packers are starting to heat up now when it really matters.