Three & Out: Takeaways From the Packers' Win Over the Bears
Three quick thoughts from the Packers’ dominant 35–14 win over the Bears:
1. There will be a lot of people questioning the NFL’s procedures on in-game player safety following an absolutely gruesome hit by Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan on Packers wideout Davante Adams (WARNING: This is a graphic blow). Adams’ mouthpiece went flying, and players immediately afterward were frantically calling for medical help. Adams gave a thumbs up as he was stretchered off the field, but the team later announced he was being evaluated for head and neck injuries along with a possible concussion.
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During the offseason, NFL owners approved ejections for egregious hits to the head, and the refs had a clear-cut example of one Thursday night at Lambeau Field. Yet, the flag came in pretty late after the vicious blow and it wasn’t even from the ref who was closest to the play. To make matters worse, Trevathan wasn't ejected and remained on the field. Now, he could very well—and should—receive a hefty fine and suspension for the hit, but the fact that this is how the situation unfolded shows that the NFL still has a far way to go in terms of handling player safety.
2. After this loss, John Fox’s record with the Bears dropped to 10-26. For a coach who’s on the hot seat, wouldn’t you want to roll with the players who give you the best chance of winning? Mike Glennon simply isn’t the answer under center. After Aaron Rodgers drove the Packers for an opening-drive touchdown, Glennon responded by getting strip-sacked on Chicago’s first offensive play. The Packers capitalized with another touchdown, and Glennon then fumbled away the next possession by losing a snap off his knee. The Bears are not built to come back from big deficits—this is a team reliant on its potent rushing attack and solid defense—evidenced by Glennon adding to his turnover total by throwing two interceptions later in the game. Chicago traded up to draft Mitchell Trubisky at the No. 2 spot for him to be the franchise signal-caller. Fox likely needs a major positive development to keep his job, and the better Hail Mary play for him is rolling the dice with Trubisky rather than going down with the Glennon ship.
3. The Packers came into Thursday night converting 66.7 percent of their red-zone visits into touchdowns, tied for the fourth-best mark in the league. Green Bay went 5-for-5 in that metric against the Bears, with Rodgers executing the offense inside the Bears’ 20-yard line to perfection. He tossed four touchdowns, spreading the scoring wealth to Jordy Nelson twice, Randall Cobb and Adams. Despite playing with a makeshift offensive line and third-string tailback for a decent amount of the game, Rodgers continued to look invincible in that portion of the field. The Packers have now scored on 43 consecutive red-zone possessions, proving that Green Bay's efficiency deep in opponents' territory is one of the biggest strengths of this team.
