The Green Bay Packers have hit the ground running to start the 2023 season. They went on the road to face their NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears, and came away with a decisive victory, winning in blowout fashion.
The Packers are leaving Soldier Field with a 38-20 win that was competitive for the first half of the game. Green Bay never trailed, taking a 7-0 lead on their first drive of the game after the Bears got aggressive and went for it on fourth down on their opening drive but didn’t convert. But the Bears were able to keep it close, trailing 10-6 at halftime.
After intermission, however, Green Bay got going. They scored a touchdown on their first two drives of the half, taking a commanding 24-6 lead and riding the momentum through the end of the game.
After a Justin Fields fumble, the Bears defense did step up, forcing a quick three-and-out. Chicago responded with a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 24-14. Alas, that was the closest they would get, as the Packers responded with another touchdown of their own.
Fields then had another turnover, this time throwing an interception to linebacker Quay Walker, who turned it into an impressive pick-six. That gave the Packers a 38-14 lead, pretty much ending the game.
Jordan Love was great in his first season opener, completing 15-of-27 passes for 245 yards with three touchdowns. He didn’t commit a turnover in the game, which proved to be a major development as his counterpart had two.
Arguably the most impressive play by Love was something you would see in a backyard game. After fumbling the snap, Love recovered and was able to find rookie tight end Luke Musgrave down the field for a huge gain.
Two of his three touchdown passes went to Romeo Doubs, who caught four passes for 26 yards overall. The leading receiver for the Packers was Aaron Jones, who caught two passes for 86 yards and one touchdown.
Jones led the team with nine rushes for 41 yards and a touchdown as well, but he finished the game on the sideline after suffering what looked to be a hamstring injury on his touchdown reception. It will be something to keep an eye on throughout the week.
The new-look Packers defense performed at a high level as well. They sacked Fields four times with six quarterback hits. Devonte Wyatt led the way with 1.5 sacks, while rookies Lukas Van Ness and Karl Brooks each had one.
It was a very encouraging start on that side of the ball for Green Bay. The pass rush was excellent and their run defense was also solid, giving up only 4.2 yards per carry.
