GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers wanted to make sure they didn’t let a big lead against the Chicago Bears slip away again.
With help from a ball-hawking defense, the Packers poured it on instead.
Christian Watson caught two long touchdown passes from Love, MarShawn Lloyd also scored twice and the Packers forced five turnovers as they exacted a measure of revenge against their rivals by trouncing the Bears 31-7 on Sunday.
“I love it,” said Love, whose 367 yards passing was the most by a Packers quarterback against the Bears at Lambeau Field. “We kept our foot on the gas. (Coach) Matt (LaFleur) was dialing it up. That’s what it needs to look like, right there.”
The Packers (3-2) had blown double-digit, fourth-quarter leads while losing their last two matchups with the Bears, including a 31-27 NFC wild-card playoff loss in which they squandered a 21-3 halftime advantage. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams celebrated that come-from-behind victory by grating cheese on the field, poking fun at Green Bay’s Cheesehead fan base.
Without Williams, the Bears had no shot at staging a similar rally Sunday.
Williams missed a third straight game with a hamstring injury, and Tyson Bagent started in his place. The Bears (3-2) were coming off wins over the Philadelphia Eagles with Case Keenum at quarterback and the New York Jets with Bagent, but they never threatened Green Bay.
Xavier McKinney intercepted two passes from Bagent, who went 12 of 21 for 87 yards. Keenum took over early in the fourth quarter and went 11 of 19 for 108 yards with an interception and a fumble.
Bears coach Ben Johnson said after the game that Williams is nearing a return.
“He’s on track,” Johnson said. “We’ll see if it’s (next week against) Atlanta or after. I think it’s going to be close.”
Green Bay moved over .500 for the first time this season by repeatedly hitting long passing plays.
Watson said he was called crazy earlier in the week when he expressed optimism the Packers could exploit the Bears’ pass defense. He caught six passes for 143 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 53-yard score in the third.
Matthew Golden added a career-high 123 yards receiving while matching a career best with six catches.
“We watched the film,” Watson said. “We saw the opportunities there, regardless of how good they were in other games against certain teams. We knew what was going to be there and took advantage of it today.”
As Green Bay got a big lead, its defense kept attacking. Chicago turned the ball over on four straight second-half possessions.
Packers play keep-away to build early lead
Green Bay took command early by flipping the script on the Bears, who entered the day leading the NFL in average time of possession. The Packers, who had been ranked next-to-last in time of possession, outgained the Bears 130 yards to 9 in the first quarter while controlling the ball for 11 minutes, 45 seconds.
Watson’s first touchdown capped a 91-yard drive on Green Bay’s first possession. Two plays later, McKinney’s first interception gave Green Bay the ball at Chicago’s 45-yard line.
Lloyd capped Green Bay’s ensuing possession by running over Jaylon Johnson and scoring from 7 yards out on the first play of the second quarter. It was the first career TD run for Lloyd, who scored on a 6-yard reception against the Jets on Sept. 20.
“The things that we had done well in the three victories that we had this year, they didn’t show up today,” Ben Johnson said. “We didn’t take care of the football — five turnovers on offense. We didn’t execute at a very high level in the run game or the passing game. Defensively, we let the ball over our head too many times.”
Chicago cut Green Bay’s lead to 14-7 when D’Andre Swift scored from 1 yard out on fourth-and-goal in the second quarter.
Green Bay regained control after halftime on Watson’s second touchdown. Watson was well covered, but he made the catch by reaching his arms over the helmet of safety Dillon Thieneman, whose back was to the play.
Chicago’s giveaways prevented the Bears from rallying as Green Bay reasserted itself in this rivalry. The Packers had beaten the Bears 11 straight times from 2019-24 before losing three of the last four meetings.
“They’re still little bro, man,” Packers safety Javon Bullard said. “They’re still little bro. Sometimes big bro got to show up, and that’s what we did.”
One disappointment for Green Bay was the performance of rookie kicker Trey Smack, who had gone 6 of 7 on field-goal attempts in the Packers’ first four games. Smack made a 35-yarder Sunday but missed from 43 and 47 yards and sent an extra-point attempt wide left.
Injuries
Bears: RB Kyle Monangai (toe, thumb), Chicago’s leading rusher, did not play. LB T.J. Edwards left with a hamstring injury in the first half. DL Dayo Odeyingbo (quadriceps), CB Tyrique Stevenson (hamstring) and DB Cam Lewis got hurt in the second half.
Packers: DT Javon Hargrave got hurt late in the fourth quarter. LaFleur said after the game that Hargrave is believed to have an Achilles tendon injury. WR Skyy Moore hurt an ankle in the first half and didn’t return. CB Benjamin St-Juste injured a hamstring in the second half.
Up next
Bears: At Atlanta next Sunday.
Packers: Host Dallas next Sunday night.
