The Green Bay Packers’ 31-7 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday carried extra significance inside the organization, according to a report, as the team moved back to .500 and delivered one of its most complete performances of the season.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported Monday that the blowout at Lambeau Field settled a lingering score from January’s playoff meeting.
“I can confirm that, yes, the Packers’ blowout win meant a little more for the guys in the building,” Breer wrote.
Chicago had eliminated Green Bay in the NFC wild-card round with a 31-27 comeback at Soldier Field. The Packers led 21-3 at halftime before the Bears scored 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Sunday’s result looked nothing like that collapse. Green Bay jumped ahead early and controlled the game throughout.
Quarterback Jordan Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns, posting a 137.5 passer rating. It was the highest total by a Packers quarterback against the Bears at Lambeau Field.
Receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden combined for 12 catches, 266 yards and two touchdowns. Watson accounted for both scores and finished with six receptions for 143 yards, while Golden added a career-high 123 yards on six catches.
Tight end Tucker Kraft, returning from his own ACL injury, contributed five catches for 64 yards.
The defense matched the offensive production. Devonte Wyatt recorded two sacks, rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton added one and Lukas Van Ness finished with two quarterback hits. Safety Evan Williams led the team with 12 tackles, and Xavier McKinney intercepted a pass early to help build a 14-0 lead.
“The main thing, really, is that the Packers’ best young players are breaking through, and just as their best player, Micah Parsons, is gearing up to return to the lineup from a torn ACL,” Breer wrote.
Parsons has been working back from the knee injury he suffered late last season. He has not yet returned to practice, and reports indicate a November return remains possible.
The win improved Green Bay to 3-2, tying the Packers with Chicago and Detroit in the NFC North. Minnesota leads the division at 5-0.
Love told Breer the team maintained its belief despite early-season injuries and inconsistent play.
“Nobody lost confidence. We knew we just weren’t playing good. We weren’t playing up to our standard, and there was a lot of stuff that we needed to clean up,” Love said. “I think a win like this and what we did today, it gives everybody confidence and just reignites the belief in what we were capable of as an offense.”
Green Bay forced five turnovers and scored 15 points off them while committing none of its own. The Packers outgained Chicago 428-246 in total yards and outscored the Bears 17-0 after halftime.
Running back MarShawn Lloyd scored twice on the ground, giving Green Bay its first two rushing touchdowns of the season.
The performance arrived as several young players produced at the same time. Watson’s two long scores — a 42-yarder in the first quarter and a 53-yarder in the third — set the tone for the offense.
Chicago’s offense, which had averaged more than 430 yards in its previous two wins, managed just 246 yards and 17 first downs. Tyson Bagent completed 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards and two interceptions before Case Keenum entered in the fourth quarter.
The Packers face the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday night at Lambeau Field. Parsons remains the highest-profile player still working his way back, but Sunday’s result showed progress from the rest of the roster.
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