Packers bounce back to beat Bears
The Green Bay Packers got their season back on track, rebounding from a season-opening loss with a dominating 23-10 win over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 219 yards and a score, while punter Tim Masthay added a 27-yard touchdown pass for the Packers, who snapped a modest two game National Football League losing skid at Lambeau. The Packers bounced back from a 30-22 loss to San Francisco with the help of Rodgers who completed 23-of-32 passes with an interception and a 26-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Donald Driver. Cedric Benson rushed for 81 yards on 20 carries. The Packers also showed their creative side on offence in the first half when Masthay hit Tom Crabtree with a shovel pass that resulted in a touchdown off a fake field goal attempt. "I couldn't believe it," Rodgers said of the fake play. "It was a gutsy call. It fooled them and he (Crabtree) had a convoy to the end zone." The Bears scored 41 points in a season-opening win over the Colts, but the Packers defence held them in check on Thursday. Packers star Clay Matthews finished with three and a half sacks. "Our defence took a lot of trash this week and they played incredible," Rodgers said. "The defence caused turnovers and if they play like that then we are going to be tough to beat." Bears quarterback Jay Cutler completed just 11-of-27 passes for 126 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions and was sacked seven times. Cutler was not pleased at times with his offensive line and he let them know it, scolding them at times for not protecting him better. "This isn't a hobby for me," Cutler said. "I am not just doing this for my health. If they want a quarterback that doesn't care then they can get somebody else." Asked if he ever expected a game like this, coming off a week one victory, Cutler said tongue-in-cheek, "Yes, I dream of getting sacked seven times and getting four picks." Matt Forte had 31 yards on seven carries for Chicago before leaving the game in the second half with an apparent ankle injury. In a key matchup this Sunday, the Joe Flacco-led Baltimore Ravens face the Philadelphia Eagles in the battle of the birds. Flacco was superb in last week's 44-13 blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Eagles defence will have their hands full with the Ravens' powerful offence at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Quarterback Michael Vick and the Eagles would like nothing better than to surprise the Ravens and show that the Eagles slim 17-16 victory over Cleveland in week one was no fluke. The New England Patriots are hoping to build off an impressive start to the season when they host the Arizona Cardinals at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. New England used a well-rounded offence and an explosive running game to dominate the Tennessee Titans 34-13 in week one. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will look for more of the same in week two. In another crucial contest, the 49ers solid defence will look to shut down Detroit's running and passing game when the teams meet in San Francisco on Sunday.
