Impressive All-Around Effort Fuels Bears’ Victory over Packers in Week 12
Published by Matt Eurich on November 27, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears had not won a game at Lambeau Field with Jay Cutler under center since he joined the team in 2009, but an impressive all-around effort from the Bears on Thanksgiving night fueled the team to a 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
During Thursday night’s rain-soaked contest in Green Bay, the Bears gained just 290 yards of total offense, but Cutler made clutch plays when the team needed him the most.
On the other side of the ball, the defense gave up 265 yards of offense to the Packers, but big plays from unheralded players like Tracy Porter, Bryce Callahan and Willie Young helped lead the Bears to a victory on Turkey Day.
Jay Cutler Impressed After a Sluggish Start
To say Cutler has struggled on the road against the Packers in his career before Thursday night’s game would be an understatement. ESPN’s John Buccigross outlined Cutler’s struggles at Lambeau Field before the Bears and Packers squared off on Thanksgiving night:
The offense struggled out of the gate, and Cutler completed just two of his six passing attempts for 19 yards in the first quarter. Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers sent a lot of pressure at the veteran signal-caller early in the game, and Chicago’s offensive line struggled to contain blitzers off the edge.
On the team’s second possession in the second quarter, Cutler and the offense found a rhythm on the ground and through the air. Cutler completed four of his five passing attempts on the drive, and he tied the game with a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Miller.
The Packers took a 10-7 lead with just under two minutes remaining on the clock in the first half, but Cutler led the Bears down the field for another touchdown before time expired in the second quarter.
The former first-round pick completed three of his four passing attempts for 40 yards on the drive, and his 20-yard completion to Marquess Wilson helped set up Jeremy Langford’s one-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds remaining on the clock.
Cutler completed just nine of his 17 passing attempts in the first half for 78 yards with one touchdown and an 84.9 quarterback rating. He struggled in the pocket at times in the first two quarters, but he looked comfortable and in control of coordinator Adam Gase’s offense in the second half.
To combat Green Bay’s aggressive defense, Gase opted to utilize the screen game to get Cutler into a rhythm, according to ESPN.com’s Matt Bowen:
The veteran quarterback finished the game with a 90.8 quarterback rating after completing 19 of his 31 passing attempts for 200 yards with one touchdown.
ESPN Stats & Info noted after the game it was Cutler’s first victory over Green Bay since 2010:
Cutler did not play his best game of the season, but he protected the football throughout the night, did not force any throws into tight coverage and did a nice job of moving around in the pocket in the second half when Green Bay brought pressure.
He still has a way to go before he can be considered one of the league’s elite quarterbacks, but Cutler’s performance on Thursday night helped the Bears get within one game of .500 in the standings.
As impressive as Cutler’s performance was against the Packers, a few under-the-radar players on defense came up big against Green Bay’s explosive offense.
Unlikely Contributors on Defense Set the Tone
Porter signed a one-year deal with the Bears this offseason after playing just three games with Washington in 2014 due to shoulder and hamstring injuries, but he has quickly become the team’s best cornerback.
He struggled to get onto the field in training camp and did not play in the preseason, but the veteran defensive back made Chicago’s 53-man roster out of training camp. Porter did not play in the first two games of the year, but he took over as a starter on the outside opposite of Kyle Fuller in Week 4 against the Oakland Raiders.
Porter has often been asked to shadow opposing offense’s best wide receivers this season, and he played one of his best games of the year in Week 12 against Green Bay. He finished the game with one tackle, four passes defended and one interception.
Bowen praised Porter’s performance after the game:
In addition to Porter’s big game at cornerback, Callahan—an undrafted rookie—played well out of the slot all game long. He took over the nickelback spot in Week 8 following Sherrick McManis’ struggles in the slot, and the young defensive back has played well in recent weeks.
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers attacked Callahan early in the passing game, but he stood his ground and played well in coverage throughout the night. He was not afraid to play physically at the line of scrimmage, and he proved to be an effective tackler in open space. The former Rice standout finished the game with three tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass defended.
Yahoo Sports’ Eric Edholm was impressed by the play of both Porter and Callahan on Thanksgiving:
One reason why both Porter and Callahan were successful against the Packers in the passing game was because of the pressure both Young and Lamarr Houston put on Rodgers.
Houston finished the game with seven tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and one fumble recovery, while Young recorded three tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits.
Young and Houston both played well against the run, but they were at their best when asked to pin their ears back and go after Rodgers. Houston talked about his dislike of Rodgers after the game, per the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Adam Jahns:
Not to be outdone by Porter, Callahan, Young and Houston, inside linebacker Shea McClellin, as well as safeties Adrian Amos and Chris Prosinski, also came up big against Green Bay.
McClellin led the team with 10 tackles, while Amos finished the game with nine tackles and Prosinski ended the contest with six tackles and one forced fumble. 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.
The Bears still have a way to go if they want to make a run at the playoffs, but their victory over the Packers on Thanksgiving night proved they have the ability to beat a good team on the road when Cutler protects the ball and the defense gets after the quarterback.
Statistical information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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