NFL: Miracle comeback! “One-legged” Rodgers dupes Bears

The Green Bay Packers have won a crazy Sunday Night game against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 with an insane comeback. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers became a hero after he could only play on one leg due to a knee injury.

It was the story of two halves that couldn’t be more different. In the first half the Bears dominated at will. They did what they wanted on the offensive and made a remarkable six-minute first drive, which quarterback Mitchell Trubisky completed with a 2-yard touchdown run himself. The Packers, on the other hand, did not see any offensive land, mainly because the offensive line could not cope with the guests’ pass rush.

Then the shocker: Rodgers injured himself on his left knee after a sack of Roy Robertson-Harris and had to be driven into the cabin by kart after lengthy treatment on the sideline at the beginning of the second quarter. His backup DeShone Kizer then had a similarly heavy stand and cashed two bags directly. In addition, under extreme pressure, he performed a Pick-Six, which Khalil Mack carried over 27 yards into the end zone. At the break it was 17:0 for Chicago with little hope for the hosts to improve.

However, hope returned with Rodgers’ somewhat surprising return in the second half. Suddenly the mood was back in the wide round and Green Bays Pass-Protection became more stable. On the one hand because the O-Line now seemed more focused, on the other hand because Rodgers – visibly handicapped by the knee injury – increased the pace and largely dispensed with huddles and thus also made the Bears’ defence tired.

In typical Rodgers manner he brought his team back in the fourth quarter. A 39-yard touchdown pass on Geronimo Allen was followed by a 12-yard TD pass on Davante Adams nine minutes from time. The Bears had little to counter at the time and were finally held in the Red Zone on their last good drive to a field goal. The answer from Rodgers with 2:13 minutes to play and 3rd Down: A 75-yard touchdown pass on Randall Cobb, who was completely free in the slot! 24:23 Packers. The subsequent drive of the guests finally came to an abrupt end with a bag from Clay Matthews.

Green Bay Packers (1-0) – Chicago Bears (0-1) 24:23 (0:7, 0:10, 3:3, 21:3) BOXSCORE.

Rodgers did not get a foot on the ground in the first half and then had to be driven into the cabin after his knee injury. It looked as if even his season was at stake. But he came out in the second half and suddenly the offense played with more safety and a better pace. The Packers had awoken and Rodgers is the main reason for it. Only the touchdown pass on Adams diagonally across the field after he had “looked” the defense to the other side was outstanding. The bottom line was three touchdowns and 286 yards (20/30).

That may sound hard now, but where was the Chicago Bears defense to impress before the break after the break? The Bears dominated the line of scrimmage until the break, after that they got no more access. Rodgers and Kizer took four bags and were under constant pressure. But in the second half nothing worked. Chicago’s defense did not even touch the “one-legged” Rodgers anymore. A meltdown of the highest order.