Down several players going into the game, the Green Bay Packers showed signs of starting to come out of their shell but had to settle for a pair of first half field goals.
The Chicago Bears actually took the lead early in the third quarter when outside linebacker Leonard Floyd recovered Aaron Rodgers fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and a 10-6 lead.
That’s when the Packers would kick things in gear. Rodgers tossed three second half touchdown passes to lead Green Bay to a 26-10 come-from-behind win.
Rodgers completed 39 of 56 for 326 yards and three touchdowns, surpassing 300 yards for just the second time in the last 12 games. The 39 completions is a new franchise record for Rodgers, surpassing the previous record of 36, which was held by Brett Favre.
The Packers went to the dink and dunk, completing several passes to wide receivers Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery, all who finished with 10 catches or more.
Adams, who suffered a concussion in last Sunday’s loss to Dallas, was finally cleared to play early Thursday afternoon. He went out and tied Don Hutson’s franchise record 13 receptions in a single game, finishing with 132 yards and two touchdowns.
AUDIO: Davante Adams on tying Don Hutson’s record :12
Randall Cobb caught 11 passes for 95 yards and Ty Montgomery added 10 catches for 66 yards. With Eddie Lacy and James Starks sidelined, Montgomery also rushed for 60 yards on 9 carries. The Packers still rushed it 23 times for 103 yards.
The Packers (4-2) outgained the Bears (1-6) 406-189 and pulled to within one game of the .500 mark in the NFL’s oldest rivalry. Chicago currently leads the all-time series 94-93 with six ties.
Don Jackson was signed to the roster from the practice squad but carried just two times for six yards before leaving with a hand injury. X-rays after the game were negative.
The Packers will now get a few days off before returning to work on Monday. They’ll play four of their next five games on the road, starting with a trip to Atlanta to face the Falcons a week from Sunday.
AUDIO: Aaron Rodgers says it was a fun game :18
AUDIO: Mike McCarthy says shorthanded, the players stepped up :18