AllGreenBayPackers.Com

Clay Matthews sacks Jay Cutler – again and again and again.

Take the ball out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands, pound the ball with Cedric Benson and let the defense rule the day.

Just what everyone expected, right?

Utilizing a rather unorthodox (for them) gameplan, the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 23-10 and moved to 1-1 on the season.   The Packers of 2011 played with an offense with so much firepower and a defense that was notorious for bending, but not breaking.

Last night, however, was something out of some kind of mirror universe.  The Packers sacked Jay Cutler seven times (with Clay Matthews accounting for exactly half of them) and intercepted him four times (Tramon Williams accounted for exactly half of those).  The Packers shut down Brandon Marshall and the defense created a Bears meltdown no Packer fan will soon forget.

The offense on the other hand showed some signs of rhythm, but still was nowhere near the juggernaut it was a season ago.  Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times and his receivers continued to be plagued by a case of the drops.

So who stood out? It’s time for another addition of Game Balls and Lame Calls.

Game Balls

LB Clay Matthews

I think It’s safe to say: the Claymaker is back.

Want proof? Through two games this season, Matthews has accumulated six sacks. His total from all of 2011 was….six. He is currently on pace for 48 sacks though he likely won’t finish with quite that many.  Read more... (844 words + 1 image, estimated 3:23 mins reading time)

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Surprise of the Game – Tom Crabtree Fake Field Goal TD run

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears:

My unfitered game day recap and blog post of comments, observations and first impressions.

Inactive for Packers today:

WR Jarrett Boykin
WR Greg Jennings
S Sean Richardson
CB Davon House
RB James Starks
LB Terrell Manning
DE CJ Wilson

Notes:

Jerel Worthy gets his first NFL start with CJ Wilson out for this game.  He can expect to see a steady dose of Matt Forte and Michael Bush.

31  yr old CB Charles Tillman will play for the Bears. Tillman has been responsible for more than 50 turnovers in his career (interceptions & forced fumbles combined).

LB Erik Walden returns after serving his one game suspension. It will be interesting to see how many snaps he takes from Nick Perry.

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Mike McCarthy Pregame Show on 620 WTMJ:

Packers – Bears: It’s going to be a tough game. That’s what we’ve prepared for. It’s early in the season, but it’s a game we always look forward to playing

Weird schedule: This is our only division game in 1st half of season.  That’s the NFL, it’s a moving target, that’s what makes things fun.

Jennings: Greg has played very well in these game. I just spoke withhim – he’s in the tank a bit about not being able to play. If it was a 7 day week, I think the outcome would have been different. Greg has made a big impact in these games with his  ability in the quick passing game and his ability to make people miss.  Read more... (1043 words + 3 images, estimated 4:10 mins reading time)

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