CHICAGO — The Packers began the 2023 regular season with an uplifting 38-20 win over archrivals Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field.
Here are five takeaways from the triumph:
1. Jordan Love answered the bell.
After a long hiatus from the season filled with speculation and hype about how Love would fare as the Packers’ new starting quarterback, the 2020 first-round draft pick came through all the way.
Not only by posting a brilliant 123.2 passing rating, 15 of 27 for 245 yards and three touchdowns, but also by staying in command of a game that had many ups and downs before the Packers hit the fourth quarter moved away.
“This is this game, right?” said head coach Matt LaFleur. “You have to be resilient and not let one play affect the next… he has the composure, the competitiveness.”
“All in all, I couldn’t be prouder of his achievement.”
2. Aaron Jones’ value to the Packers’ offense cannot be overstated.
Jones had five carries on Green Bay’s first possession and helped set up a touchdown, and then he took the lead in the third quarter.
He completed a 51-yard throwback screen to set up his own 1-yard TD plunge. On the Packers’ next drive, he caught Love’s quick throw in the fourth-and-3 from the Chicago 35, bringing it home and extending the lead to 24-6.
“He’s a guy that tilts the playing field in your favor,” LaFleur said. “He is so dynamic and explosive. Even if you take the football stuff out, he means so much to this dressing room through his actions, but also through what he says and what he does on a daily basis. He’s a real leader in this locker room. He inspires everyone.”
On the crucial fourth descent, Jones ran what he called a “choice route,” where he reads the defense and chooses his route based on what he sees. Love saw what the Bears defense was doing, man-marking Jones with a linebacker, and believed the short throw had a shot at a big break.
“I knew it would be open, I knew he would kill her (with it),” Love said. “It was a great finish from him, the way he was able to split the defenders.”
Jones ended the game with 127 yards from scrimmage (41 rushing, 86 receiving) with the two scores and didn’t even play the fourth quarter after suffering a hamstring injury on his second touchdown. LaFleur said after the game that he hoped it was “just a cramp.”