Chicago: Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes to rally the Green Bay Packers past visiting Chicago 26-10 Thursday in the latest matchup in the NFL’s oldest rivalry.
The Packers, who improved to 4-2 this season, trail the overall series with the Bears at 94-93 with six drawn in a rivalry that dates to 1921, a year after the league was formed.
Two Mason Crosby field goals against one by Connor Barth gave Green Bay a 6-3 half-time edge but the Bears grabbed the lead when Leonard Floyd sacked Rodgers for a 14-yard loss, knocked loose a fumble and recovered the ball in the end zone for a Chicago touchdown only 17 seconds into the third quarter.
Rodgers answered with touchdown passes of 4 and 5 yards to Davante Adams and a 2-yard touchdown toss to Randall Cobb with 5:35 remaining.
Crosby missed the conversion kick on the last touchdown and had a late field goal attempt blocked, leaving the Packers ahead by the final margin and the Bears with an NFL-worst 1-6 record.
Rodgers completed a career-high 39 of 56 pass attempts for 326 yards as the Packers overcame despite being nagged by injuries.
“We showed a lot of heart tonight,” Rodgers said. “It’s how we’re going to have to play. We’re going to have to do some of this — maybe not throw it 55 times.
“We responded in an adverse situation. We showed some character and I’m really proud of our guys.”
Adams made 13 catches, one shy of the Green Bay single-game record, for 132 yards.
“We stayed with it and were able to put a couple of nice drives together,” Rodgers said. “We knew our defence could do it. We just had to put some points on the board.”
