CHICAGO – The Packers snapped their three-game losing streak on Sunday, as quarterback Brett Hundley came up big in the fourth quarter to produce a 23-16 victory over the Bears at Soldier Field.
Hundley did most of his damage late in the game, finishing 18-of-25 for 212 yards and a touchdown for a 110.8 rating. Rookie RB Jamaal Williams, taking over after injuries to Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery, had 20 carries for 67 yards. Montgomery added six carries for 54 yards, including a 37-yard TD, before exiting with a rib injury. Jones left earlier with a knee injury.
WR Davante Adams led Green Bay's receivers with five catches for 90 yards and a score.
The Packers improved to 5-4 on the season, while the Bears dropped to 3-6.
For the Bears, rookie QB Mitch Trubisky finished 21-of-35 for 297 yards with a TD for a 97.0 rating. RB Jordan Howard was held to just 54 yards on 15 carries. WR Dontrelle Inman led Chicago with six catches for 88 yards.
Here's a recap of all the action.
First quarter:
The Packers and Bears traded early field goals and headed to the second quarter tied at 3.
The Packers won the toss and deferred. The Bears picked up one first down on the opening drive on a slant pass to WR Kendall Wright, but the Packers tackled RB Jordan Howard for losses on his first three carries, and Green Bay forced a punt for the first time since the second quarter of the Saints game.
WR Trevor Davis erred on the punt return, though, catching the punt at the goal line and returning it only to the 8-yard line, rather than taking a touchback.
The Packers got going on the initial third down, as QB Brett Hundley hit WR Randall Cobb on a slant and Cobb broke a tackle to take the ball 38 yards in all, across midfield. Hundley then hit RB Ty Montgomery for 7 yards on the next third down, but the drive stalled at the Chicago 22, and K Mason Crosby made a 40-yard field goal to open the scoring.
Following the scoring drive, it was announced RB Aaron Jones has a knee injury and is questionable to return.
The Bears came right back with a 31-yard pass to TE Adam Shaheen to get just across midfield. After two false starts, Howard ran for 14 and then 2 yards, making it third-and-4. QB Mitch Trubisky hit RB Tarik Cohen for 10 yards to move the chains, but two plays later, a holding call pushed Chicago back. The Bears ended up settling for a 45-yard field goal by K Connor Barth to tie the score at 3.
The Packers failed to convert on third-and-1 to start their next drive, as Montgomery was stuffed at the line, and Green Bay punted on the final play of the quarter.
Second quarter:
Ty Mongtomery broke off a long touchdown run and Green Bay benefited from a fortunate turnover as the Packers took a 10-6 lead into halftime.
The Bears went three-and-out to start the second quarter, as Packers DT Mike Daniels got a second-down sack for a 6-yard loss. A strong punt return by Davis was wiped out by an illegal block by LB Joe Thomas, forcing the Packers to start on their own 21.
Green Bay quickly took the lead, as Bears CB Prince Amukamara was called for pass interference against WR Jordy Nelson deep downfield, for a 29-yard infraction. Two plays later, Hundley hit Nelson for 14 yards, and then Montgomery burst through a hole for a 37-yard touchdown run. Crosby's PAT put the Packers up, 10-3, with 11:41 left in the half.
Howard got the Bears moving again with a 25-yard run on second down, just across midfield. On the ensuing third-and-9, Trubisky found WR Dontrelle Inman for 26 yards to the Green Bay 22. A tackle for loss on Howard set up third-and-13, but the Bears converted on a screen pass to RB Bennie Cunningham, who dove for the pylon.
The Bears thought they had a touchdown, so they challenged the play, but it was ruled that Cunningham was losing control of the ball as it hit the pylon, resulting in a fumble and a touchback for the Packers.
The Packers picked up one first down, but Hundley was sacked for a 10-yard loss by blitzing CB Cre'Von LeBlanc, leading to a punt. Green Bay returned the favor with a pair of sacks by LB Nick Perry, sandwiched around a tackle for loss on Howard, for a three-and-out.
Bears LB Nick Kwiatkowski sacked Hundley on the Packers' next third down, right after the two-minute warning, and Green Bay punted. The Bears took over on their own 35 with 1:37 left in the half.
With the help of an offside penalty on LB Ahmad Brooks, the Bears had third-and-1 and converted with a 7-yard pass to TE Daniel Brown. Chicago called its second timeout of the half with 51 seconds left and the ball on the Green Bay 49. Then on third-and-1, Trubisky hit Inman for 10 yards on a slant to the 30.
After a false start pushed the Bears back to the 35, Inman gained 9 on another slant and the Bears called their final timeout with 1 second left. Barth was good from 44 yards out to pull the Bears within 10-6.
Third quarter:
The Packers added a field goal in the third quarter and took a 13-6 lead over the Bears into the fourth.
The Packers got great field position to start the second half. A personal foul on the Bears on the final play of the first half forced Chicago to kick off from its own 20, and Davis returned it to the Chicago 46. On third-and-6, Hundley hit Cobb for 7 yards along the sideline to move the chains.
With Montgomery out for the rest of the game with a rib injury, rookie RB Jamaal Williams took over in the backfield and ran twice for 9 yards before a play-action pass to FB Aaron Ripkowski for 12 yards converted on third-and-1. On the next third-and-1, however, Hundley had to throw it away, bringing on Crosby. He was good from 24 yards out, putting the Packers ahead, 13-6, with 10:16 left in the third.
Green Bay's defense responded with a three-and-out, as CB Davon House came on a third-down blitz to get Trubisky. Davis' 12-yard punt return put the Packers on their own 43.
Hundley hit TE Lance Kendricks for 9 yards to convert on third-and-5, but Hundley was sacked by LB Leonard Floyd on the next third down, forcing a punt.
Perry began Chicago's next drive with his third sack of the game, and the Bears punted from inside their own 20. The Packers took over on their own 42.
Williams ran three times for 7 yards, and then burst through for 4 when the Packers went for it on fourth-and-inches. A pass to Williams gained 8 yards on the final play of the quarter.
Fourth quarter:
Green Bay's drive stalled out at the Chicago 32, and Crosby drilled a 50-yard field goal to put the Packers ahead 16-6 with 13:09 left.
The Bears got a first down on a defensive holding call on DT Kenny Clark, and then Trubisky hit Inman for 14 yards to get across midfield. On the next snap, he fired deep to Bellamy, who got behind House for a 46-yard touchdown, and the Bears were within 16-13 with 10:39 left.
Hundley hit Adams for 18 yards on the first snap of the next drive, and Williams followed with two runs for 12 and another first down. After an 8-yard pass to TE Richard Rodgers, Hundley scrambled for 17 yards on third-and-2 to the Chicago 20.
Two plays later, Hundley scrambled right and found Adams with a back-shoulder throw right at the front pylon for a 19-yard touchdown. Crosby's PAT deflected up the left upright and through, putting the Packers back up by 10, 23-13 with 5:29 left.
Trubisky found Inman on back-to-back passes for a total of 29 yards to get the Bears quickly out to midfield. A 16-yard pass to Brown put the ball on the Green Bay 35, but on third-and-10, a pass to Wright gained only 4 to the 31. Barth was good from 49 yards out, and the Bears were back within one score at 23-16 with 3:19 to go.
Williams ran twice for 10 yards and a first down, and then he ran for 3 and the Bears used their first timeout with 2:18 left. A 2-yard run by Ripkowski was followed by Chicago's second timeout with 2:12 left, setting up third-and-5, but a delay of game made it third-and-10.
Hundley then fired deep to Adams, who hauled it in one-handed along the right sideline over CB Kyle Fuller for 42 yards. After three more runs, with the Bears using their last timeout, Crosby missed wide right from 35 yards out, as the snap was bobbled by holder Justin Vogel. The Bears took over on their own 25 with 1:03 to go, out of timeouts.
An 11-yard pass to Wright moved the chains and stopped the clock. Brooks tipped a pass that might have been picked off by CB Damarious Randall had it gone through, and then Inman had a downfield throw bounce off Inman's hands over the middle.
On fourth-and-10, the Packers made the tackle on a short pass to clinch the win.
