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By CHRIS HAVEL
R-E-L-A-X, Green Bay Packers fans. Aaron Rodgers had it covered.
The same cannot be said of the Chicago Bears’ beleaguered defense. When it rushed five Rodgers stood tall in the pocket and picked it apart. When it finally flushed him, Rodgers adroitly slid out of harm’s way and into position to throw four touchdowns passes.
When Rodgers wasn’t playing catch with his receivers, the Packers’ defensive backs were playing catch with Jay Cutler. Green Bay’s defense intercepted Cutler twice in the decisive third quarter of a 38-17 blowout win Sunday at Soldier Field.
The Packers (2-2) are tied with the Bears (2-2) and the Vikings (2-2) and sit one game behind the NFC North Division-leading Lions (3-1). The Packers host the Vikings Thursday night at Lambeau Field to wrap up a three-game stretch against division rivals.
Green Bay’s rout of Chicago gives it a chance to go 2-1 in that stretch and still have a world of possibilities ahead. Such is life in the NFL. So much can change from game-to-game, let alone month-to-month.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy appreciated that the Bears win was the 700th in Packers history. He also appreciated an offense that went on the attack with double-tight end personnel and never looked back.
“Big win,” McCarthy told reporters. “It’s always nice to be part of history. I feel very good about what was accomplished today.”
The Packers scored on each of their first six possessions, frequently deploying Andrew Quarless and rookie Richard Rodgers together with two receivers (Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb) and one running back (Eddie Lacy). While the Packers’ running game didn’t take off, the double-tight end personnel allowed Green Bay to throw out of run formations and convert first downs. It also gave Nelson and Cobb ample opportunities in single coverage, and Green Bay’s wide receivers made Chicago pay.
The Packers’ passing attack averaged an astounding 10.8 yards per completion, offset only by the fact that Green Bay’s defense surrendered 7.5 yards per catch. Rodgers was 22 of 28 for 302 yards and a passer rating of 151.4, fourth all-time for the Packers’ quarterback. He would have had a fifth touchdown pass, but a holding penalty nullified a 34-yard completion to rookie Davante Adams in the end zone.
It was about the only mistake the Packers’ offensive line made.
“We produced. We scored points. We were very basic in our approach,” McCarthy told reporters. “The pass protection was very good. Aaron (Rodgers) was excellent throwing to the open guy. We wanted to come in here and play fast.”
That they did. For his part, Rodgers relished the opportunity to ease Packers’ fans concerns after a 1-2 start. Rodgers now has nine touchdown passes to one interception this season.
“I don’t feel like I need to prove anything,” Rodgers said. “But it sure is nice when people start doubting us to go out and have a performance like this.”
The game featured several milestones and curiosities. Beyond the fact that it was Green Bay’s 700th win in franchise history, it also saw Rodgers eclipse the 25,000-yard mark for passing yards, the earliest of any QB in NFL history, based upon passing attempts.
Furthermore, it spawned a trivia question: Who is the Bears’ punter? Neither the Packers’ Tim Masthay nor the Bears’ Pat O’Donnell had to boom a single punt during the game, only the second time in the long history of the NFL that has happened in a regular season game.
Poor clock management by the Bears and a superb tackle by Clinton-Dix just shy of the goal line, as time ran off the clock, cost the Bears a pivitol TD at the end of the first half.
The Packers’ defense gave up 33 first downs while the Bears’ Matt Forte rushed 23 times for 122 yards.  Yet, the Packers’ D stiffened for a goal line stand in the first half that forced the Bears to settle for 3 points.  The way this track meet started, anything less than a TD was a failure.
Ultimately, Cutler proved no match for Rodgers. He hit on 22 of 34 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns, but it was his two interceptions that cost Chicago dearly.
Savvy veteran corner Tramon Williams read a pass play while sitting in zone coverage, jumped the route and deflected the pass to Clay Matthews, whose interception and return stifled a Bears’ drive and set up a Green Bay touchdown. Later, Sam Shields picked off a pass after the Bears’ Brandon Marshall elected to freelance and go deep.
Those two plays kept the Bears at bay. Now the Vikings and rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater come into Lambeau Field for a Thursday night encounter. Bridgewater left Sunday’s 41-28 victory over the Falcons with an ankle injury, but later said he would be ready to go against the Packers.
Rest assured Rodgers and the Packers’ offense will be ready to go, but in case you doubt it just heed the quarterback and relax.
 
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

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Rodgers neutralized against aggressive front 7; Lacy, run game falter
By CHRIS HAVEL
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense hit a surprising slump against the Detroit Lions’ defense.
The Lions’ defensive front seven controlled the game in Detroit’s 19-7 victory over Green Bay Sunday at Ford Field.
And that D even put up nine first-half points on defensive back Don Carey’s 40-yard fumble return for a touchdown, and linebacker DeAndre Levy’s tackle of Eddie Lacy in the end zone for a safety. That gave Detroit a 9-7 halftime lead.
A 30-yard Nate Freese field goal in the third quarter and Reggie Bush’s 26-yard run for a fourth-quarter touchdown sealed the win. Meantime, Green Bay’s offense couldn’t get its groove on. The Packers ran just 51 plays while Rodgers finished an ordinary 16 of 27 for 162 yards and a first-quarter touchdown pass to Andrew Quarless.
“They’ve got a good defense,” Rodgers said. “You’ve got to give them credit. As well as our defense played today, we scored seven and we gave up nine with our offense. They didn’t even need to score.”
The challenge continues this week as the Packers (1-2) are at Chicago (1-1) Sunday in the second of three straight NFC North games.
The Packers-Bears matchup features Julius Peppers’ return to Chicago. It’s magnified by the possibility that Packers linebacker Clay Matthews could be limited or out with a groin injury. Matthews didn’t finish the Lions game, and the severity of the injury wasn’t known early Monday.
The Packers’ defense forced three turnovers and held the Lions to a manageable 353 yards of total offense. However, the Packers’ dicey decisions such as re-kicking after a 5-yard penalty, and calling a timeout late in the first half when the Lions were content to run out the clock were debatable. Most disappointing was the Packers’ lack of a running attack.
Afterward, Rodgers admitted the Packers’ offense wasn’t able to move against the Lions’ “Cover 2” defense without a running game.
“Their goal was they were going to limit the number of one-on-one coverages and roll the coverage to Jordy (Nelson),” Rodgers told Packers.com. “We need balance. We have to run the ball better, more effectively. We haven’t done it in the first three games.”
Rodgers continued, “We have to run block better and we have to run better. We’ve had two marginal performances and one average performance.”
At least Rodgers admitted it isn’t just the run game that’s struggling.
“We haven’t been a sharp offense,” he said. “I haven’t been as sharp. We have to play better. We have to adjust better. They played a lot of two high (safeties) and we never successfully adjusted.”
Rodgers was sacked twice and constantly harassed. He didn’t have time to pick apart the Lions’ MASH unit secondary, and never looked comfortable.
The Lions’ Ndamukong Suh and friends were all too happy to wipe the smile off Rodgers’ face after a short touchdown pass to Quarless, as they thereafter managed to pitch a shutout the final three quarters.
“I think we have an opportunity to dominate every particular game,” Suh told reporters. “As long as we hone into our keys, get off the ball and do what we’re taught and execute.”
Now, the Packers must figure out how to jumpstart the offense. Rest assured the Bears’ defense is going to employ the “Cover 2” and challenge the Packers to run the football.
Whether it’s rookie center Corey Linsley’s inexperience, a lack of technique and concentration line-wide or the ball carrier’s inability to maximize yardage isn’t clear. What is perfectly clear is the Packers’ offense, like most offenses in the NFL, can’t function anything near its best without at least a semblance of balance.
Right now it’s putting too much pressure on a still-evolving defense to expect it to carry a sputtering offense. In fact, defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ unit is going to have its hands full with a Bears offense that features an impressive array of weaponry.
If a less-than-stellar performance at Detroit isn’t a wake-up call, the prospect of starting 1-3 surely is.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

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Rodgers-to-Nelson erases 18-point deficit as Packers’ defense finally shows up
By CHRIS HAVEL
A game like this gives players a chance to grow as one. From its stale start to its scintillating finish the Packers came together on their way to a 31-24 victory over the New York Jets in Sunday’s regular-season home opener at Lambeau Field. The Packers looked more like the visiting team at the outset.
Green Bay fumbled away its first snap and the Jets responded by scoring on their first three drives. Before a sellout crowd could decide what hit it the Jets led 21-3 and appeared to be in complete control.
“It’s a game of adversity. It’s a game of momentum swings. It’s a game of big plays,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said. “We were in a spot, but our players stayed the course.”
That’s when Green Bay’s defense grew a spine and forced the Jets’ first punt late in the first half.
“The momentum came when we stopped them and started making plays and got off the field and got off on third down,” Packers linebacker Jamari Lattimore said.
The Packers’ defense appeared to jell as the game unfolded. Players began to play aggressively rather than passively, and they seemed to play with more confidence in themselves and each other. Mostly, the defense seemed bent on locating the football and getting after the quarterback or ball carrier, whichever was required. Far fewer players appeared to be standing in no man’s land, neither playing coverage nor rushing the passer. On Sunday, at least, defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ unit appeared to take a step forward.
Aaron Rodgers did the rest. The Packers’ quarterback targeted Jordy Nelson 16 times while connecting on nine passes for 209 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. The big play was an 80-yard touchdown play in which Nelson beat Jets cornerback Dee Milliner on an out-and-up move. That made it 31-24 late in the third quarter.
Earlier, Randall Cobb caught two touchdown passes and a two-point conversion to give Green Bay a 24-21 second-half lead. Rodgers completed 25 of 42 for 346 yards and looked much better than he did in the season-opener at Seattle.
Derek Sherrod started at right tackle and held up well enough to earn another start should Bryan Bulaga’s comeback from a knee injury be delayed. Sherrod struggled at times, but got better as the game went on. He also received much-needed help from fullback John Kuhn and an array of tight ends.
Rookie receiver Davante Adams looked smooth and showed soft hands and confidence in his 2014 debut.
The Packers’ defense got roughed up early, but bounced back midway through the second quarter to show some toughness. Mike Neal, DaTone Jones and others rallied to the ball carrier, and Clay Matthews and Mike Daniels applied good pressure on Jets quarterback Geno Smith. When the Jets’ top weapon, receiver Eric Decker, left with a pulled hamstring late in the third quarter, New York’s offense went stagnate.
Perhaps the Packers’ biggest play came when cornerback Tramon Williams made a leaping interception in front of Jets tight end Zach Sudfeld at the Packers’ 3-yard line. Then, Rodgers led the Packers on an impressive 10-play, 97-yard drive in 1:44. It was capped by a Rodgers-to-Cobb 6-yard touchdown strike that made it a do-able 21-16 five-point deficit at halftime.
“You never want to come out that flat, you never expect to come out that flat, but we did and we found a way to get through it,” Williams said.
The way they got through it was together.
The offense relied on the defense. The defense earned a measure of trust. The special teams – including sensational work from Mason Crosby and Tim Masthay – also played well.
Rodgers and Nelson did the rest. Afterward, the quarterback had high praise for his primary weapon.
“Well, pretty impressive. Take it for granted sometimes. He’s not a big ‘me’ guy … so he kind of gets overlooked sometimes,” Rodgers said. “We know the kind of player he is.”
The Jets, and everyone else, got a reminder on Sunday.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

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Meantime, Green Bay offense fails to generate big plays in Packers’ loss at Seattle
By CHRIS HAVEL
That’s not a silver lining in the clouds. It’s a jet. Actually, it’s the New York Jets, who double as the Packers’ next opponent and will hopefully be the start of good things.
The Jets used to be a pushover, an afterthought, an automatic ‘W’ on the schedule, just like the pre-Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks used to be. It’s not that way anymore, a fact the Packers and head coach Mike McCarthy faced last Thursday and again in Sunday’s Lambeau Field season opener against the New York Jets.
The Jets (1-0) got past the Oakland Raiders and rookie quarterback Derek Carr 19-14 thanks to a strong pass rush and running back Chris Ivory’s 71-yard touchdown jaunt in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Packers are seeking redemption and their first victory in the wake of last Thursday’s loss to the defending Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFL season opener.
The Packers’ defense showed they have not yet made the progress they had anticipated from last year. For example:

• Julius Peppers wasn’t the factor we had hoped in the game. That has to change if Green Bay’s defense is going to tighten up.
• Clay Matthews showed tremendous burst in the pass rush, but the Seahawks picked up lots of rushing yards by going at his side. Marshawn Lynch, who ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, broke several tackles while running off right tackle.
• Sam Shields and Tramon Williams were very good, and the safeties were improved from last year. However, the inside linebackers (A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones) need better play. That has to change. To add to that issue, Brad ones had two costly penalties.

On offense, quarterback Aaron Rodgers never seemed to get settled in. Some of that discomfort might’ve been due to right tackle Bryan Bulaga’s absence after injuring his knee in the first half. Bulaga’s injury will keep him out a yet undetermined number of games. Derek Sherrod had a disappointing outing in relief of Bulaga. He needs to play better and will open at right tackle against a Jets’ defense that can apply pressure.
The Jets sacked Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr twice while limiting him to just 3-of-12 on third down conversions in the loss.
Rodgers can’t be harassed the way he was at Seattle.
I would expect McCarthy to be able to get the right tackle situation fixed in time for Sunday’s 3:25 kickoff. Sherrod is going to have to be sharper this game and, with a week or reps with the first team, he should be better prepared. If not, T.J. Lang might move from right guard to right tackle, with Lane Taylor going to right guard.
Eddie Lacy, who rushed for just 34 yards against the Seahawks before being injured, should be OK after clearing concussion protocols. Lacy’s bruising style was on display in Seattle, but he had little room to operate. His acceleration and lowering of the shoulder into Seattle safety Kam Chancellor was a thing of beauty. There just was never enough room to sustain anything.
Meantime, the Jets and head coach Rex Ryan will bring in a decent offense to go with their feisty defense. On Sunday, quarterback Geno Smith settled down after a shaky start to complete 23 of 28 passes for 221 yards. The Jets also rushed for 212 yards, including Ivory’s 10 carries for 102 yards (and the 71-yard touchdown) and Chris Johnson’s 68 rushing yards. So, the Packers run D will again be tested.
Also expect the Jets to utilize some play-action passes and Jet Sweep action in its offensive attack Sunday. Ivory and Johnson are explosive backs who are tough to bring down on first contact. Hawk and Jones better be ready to bring it, and nose tackles Josh Boyd and Letroy Guion need to be much stronger at the point.
I’ll be surprised if the Packers are outplayed by the Jets, but if it happens it’ll be because Green Bay’s offensive line didn’t give Rodgers time and Lacy openings.
I like the Packers 27-17 over the Jets, but it won’t be easy.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

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By CHRIS HAVEL
It’s rare when the safest prediction is the weather going into a football game in the Pacific Northwest.
The Seattle forecast for Thursday’s Packers-Seahawks season opener calls for sunshine and a daytime high of 76 with an evening low of 55. It also calls for a light northwest breeze and zero percent chance of rain.
Whether the 2014 Packers can run stuff Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch remains to be seen. It also will be interesting to see if Green Bay’s defense can generate an effective, sustained pass rush. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy expressed confidence in his defense during Monday’s post-practice news conference.
“We’re a better pass rush team today than we’ve been in a long time,” McCarthy said. “Some of the things we’ve changed schematically, we’ve worked at it a lot more … and I think we saw the benefits in the preseason.”
I couldn’t agree more. Clay Matthews has never lined up opposite a big-time pass rusher. Still, he has 50 sacks in five seasons. That annual sack average may skyrocket now that he has 13-year veteran Julius Peppers across from him.
Peppers, 34, didn’t act his age during the preseason. He showed uncommon strength, speed and agility for an athlete who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 287 pounds.
Obviously, the Packers must control Lynch and the Seahawks’ running attack if they are going to pull off an upset. Seattle is a 6-point favorite, but if the Packers can force Russell Wilson into passing situations – especially while building an even modest lead – the Seahawks’ 12th Man is apt to be extremely disappointed.
If the Packers take the lead and/or stuff the run defensive coordinator Dom Capers should be able to cut loose his ball-hawking secondary. That is especially true if the Matthews-Peppers duo brings it strong.
“It’ll be fun to see,” Matthews said. “I know, as I’ve seen over the years – and as Dom has shown – we keep a multitude of defenses and schemes and formations, and (the Seattle offense) presents the very same problems. So we’ll look to unleash it in Week 1 and hopefully it works in our favor.”
Clearly, the Packers’ special teams – especially the coverage units – must be solid. And it’s likely Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy and the Packers’ offense will put up points even against Seattle’s stingy defense. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and the rest are too good to be shut down, and Seattle’s defense can’t possibly play like it did in the playoffs.
The Packers lost nose tackle B.J. Raji to a season-ending biceps tear late in training camp. Letroy Guion, who was acquired in the offseason, will start at the nose with Josh Boyd and Mike Pennel backing him up. I’ll be curious to see how they perform against the run in concert with inside linebackers A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones. Clearly, the defense will receive upgraded run support from the safeties.
Ultimately, I see the Packers’ offense and its 1-2 punch of Rodgers and Lacy controlling much of the action. I also see Green Bay’s improved defense playing a more aggressive, ball-hawking style than last year.
It should add up to the NFL’s first upset of the season.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.