Running back James Starks gained 18 yards on a screen and ran for 7 more to get the ball to the Green Bay 49 at the two-minute warning.
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The Green Bay Packers lost back-to-back games at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2008 when they fell to the Chicago Bears 17-13 Thanksgiving night. It’s every game; everything we do is constantly evaluated on that. But we came in with the mentality that we weren’t gonna leave Lambeau without a win.
Two things we took note of there.
It’s clear Rodgers is not in sync with his receivers. After holding Chicago to three-and-outs on fourth of its first five series, the Bears used the field position score their first touchdown off a 6-yard pass to tight end Zach Miller. Plus, Green Bay only recorded one sack on Jay Cutler, despite having several opportunities to do so and missing tackles on him.
“I’m obviously going to have to make sure my preparation is as high as it’s ever been because we need to get on the same page, the passing game”, Rodgers said, via Weston Hodkiewicz of the Press-Gazette.
The Packers won over the Vikings last week in Minnesota to snap a three game losing streak. When the team needed a big stop at the end of the game, the defense applied pressure to Rodgers, and he had nowhere to throw the football because of Chicago’s coverage in the end zone. We’ll take another hard look at it, as we continue to do, and either emphasize some of the changes we have made or go back to emphasize some of the basics of our offense.
A day after another stunning home loss to an NFC North foe, which, incidentally, was the first time the Packers have lost consecutive home division games in the same season since 1992, McCarthy could not have been more clear about what ails a perennial top-10 offense that now ranks 21st in total yards and 23rd in passing yards.
The highlight for Green Bay turned out to be the return of Favre, whose name and No. 4 was unveiled at halftime with the club’s other retired numbers. Starr, 81, is recovering from two strokes and a heart attack and worked for months to be strong enough to attend the event.
“It was awesome”, Favre said.
I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.
There was one more special welcome for Favre when Hall of Famer Bart Starr was driven to the middle of the field on a cart.
“(This) was more than likely his last time to be here”, Favre said.
Romo went on injured reserve with a designation to return after the first injury, and the Cowboys couldn’t win without him.
In his four previous games at Green Bay, all losses, Cutler had thrown 12 interceptions. But Cutler stayed, and Fox and new offensive coordinator Adam Gase have gotten improved play out of him.
Cutler finished 19 of 31.
“It was just really a good team effort defensively”, coach John Fox said. However, he fumbled at the end of a 15-yard run, with Chicago turning that giveaway into a touchdown.
It put ball security at a premium.
Suddenly, midway through the second quarter of a game threatening to slip away from the Bears, something came together.
Adams dropped another pass in the open on third-and-long in the first quarter that could have led to a big gain.
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The one consistently effective part of the Packers’ offense of late has been the play of Eddie Lacy, who topped 100 rushing yards each of the last two games.
