Written by Gregg Rosenthal at NFL.com
A strange night in Green Bay, interrupted by a 47-minute lightning delay, ended in a familiar fashion. The Packers’ 35-14 victory over the visiting Chicago Bears was notable for its total lack of suspense, the home team holding a two-touchdown lead before the Bears even ran a second offensive play.
The comfortable margin of victory comes at a great time for a Packers team beset by injuries and erratic play through September. Coach Mike McCarthy’s crew hasn’t played particularly well and has been particularly unlucky, yet the team hits the quarter mark of the season at 3-1. That’s how successful organizations manage the schedule and the Packers should be happy to avoid digging another early season hole to the season. Here’s what we learned:
1. This felt like a Pyrrhic victory in some ways for the Packers because of all the injuries. The scariest one happened when wide receiver Davante Adams was taken off the field in a stretcher after taking a vicious hit to the helmet from Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan. (Adams was taken to a hospital for evaluation with a head and neck injury. He was conscious and had feeling in all his extremities.)
It wasn’t the only Packers injury. As NFL Network’s Rich Eisen sagely put it, the annual ritual of the Packers being forced to play a running back you’ve never heard of has arrived. Starter Ty Montgomery, who has played a higher percentage of snaps than any running back in football, broke his ribs on the team’s first drive, stayed in for several carries, and left after five rushes for 26 yards. Montgomery’s backup Jamaal Williams subsequently hurt his knee, leaving rookie runner Aaron Jones and fullback Aaron Ripkowski to take over. Packers inside linebacker Joe Thomas, who made a crucial pass breakup early in the game, left with a knee injury.
2. Trevathan is at risk of facing a hefty fine or even possibly a suspension for the hit. The league’s ownership made a point of emphasis this offseason that a player can be ejected immediately for a particularly egregious hit to the helmet and a suspension is possible even for a first-time offender. Trevathan was not ejected but could be at risk of missing time.
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