Green Bay packers: 3 takeaways from the Packers 24-23 win over Bears
2. O-line turned things around in the second half
It was pretty evident that the Packers front five struggled in the first half.
To be fair, Mack caused most of the havoc against Bulaga. But Roy Robertson-Harris, Roquan Smith and Akiem Hicks also contributed to Chicago’s four sacks, so it was more than a one-man show.
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The Bears totaled five tackles for a loss in the night thanks to forcing a lot of penetration throughout the first half. The Packers offensive line was also flagged for a few holding calls which played a part in the teams’ eight total for 72 penalty yards.
However, that all changed once Rodgers returned to the field after halftime.
The o-line provided Rodgers more time in the pocket than he or Kizer had in the first half. By starting with shorter passes to open the half, the Bears defense wore down enough for the o-line to give Rodgers time for longer plays when called.
That’s not to say that the o-line still doesn’t have a lot of work to do. There are clearly still some improvements that need to be made. However, thanks to their collective improvement in the second half, Rodgers was able to have time to work his magic.
Next weekend against the Minnesota Vikings will be another tough task for the Packers front five. We’ll see how well they can handle their league leading pass-rush, they’ll certainly be put on the spot.