Sunday noticed the beginning of a brand new period for the Packers-Bears rivalry and, frankly, it didn’t look a lot totally different from latest incarnations, wherein Inexperienced Bay have dominated Chicago. If the Bears thought that going through Jordan Love somewhat than Aaron Rodgers would change their fortunes, the Packers’ complete 38-20 victory proved them incorrect. It was the Packers’ ninth win in a row over their NFC North rivals.
Bears followers had cause to be optimistic earlier than the sport, not less than after final yr. Initially, the crew is definitely trying to win video games this time round! On prime of that, within the midst of a whole lot of shedding in 2022, Justin Fields improved as time went on, changing into solely the third NFL quarterback to hurry for greater than 1,000 yards in a season. In the meantime, Love has been a big query mark since he entered the league.
The Packers traded as much as choose Love within the first spherical of the 2020 draft regardless of already having Rodgers on the roster. Nobody appeared to know fairly why the Packers have been utilizing a first-round choose on a participant who, if all the pieces went proper for them, wouldn’t begin for years.
By just about all accounts, drafting Love was a key second within the rift between the Packers and Rodgers, who hoped for offensive weapons and as a substitute needed to welcome his eventual substitute. To chop a really lengthy story quick, this offseason the crew traded Rodgers to the New York Jets, for whom he’ll make his debut towards the Buffalo Payments on Monday.
So, as a substitute of taking part in towards a four-time MVP, the Bears’ protection can be taking part in towards an unknown amount who had began one sport in his total NFL profession. Benefit Bears, proper? Nicely, sadly for his or her followers, Chicago spent most of Sunday’s sport wanting just like the crew that put collectively the league’s worst file final season.
Fields was sacked 4 occasions, threw an interception and misplaced a fumble whereas arising with only one landing. In the meantime, Love had a clear sport, throwing three touchdowns and no picks. Perhaps extra importantly, he appeared extraordinarily snug working the offense as if he had been getting ready for the job for years which, in fact, he has been. He was eight for 10 on third- and fourth-downs on Sunday, displaying an admirably cool head beneath stress.
Then once more, the Packers aren’t any strangers in the case of planning quarterback succession. In spite of everything, they drafted Rodgers with the intention of getting him sit and be taught the skilled sport through the reign of Brett Favre. Three years later, when the Packers parted methods with Favre – who instantly joined, yep, the Jets – they determined they have been snug with Rodgers regardless that he was nonetheless a comparatively unknown amount. They didn’t come to remorse that transfer.
In a perfect world, possibly the Packers would have most popular to hold on to Rodgers. However when he left they believed that they had already developed his substitute. Love, who remains to be solely 24 – the identical age as Rodgers was when he took over as Inexperienced Bay QB – additionally spent three years behind a Corridor of Fame signal-caller earlier than formally changing into the crew’s starter. This doesn’t really feel like a mere coincidence. Love appeared ready to tackle the position, which additionally doesn’t really feel like a coincidence.
“Nothing’s modified,” Packers working again Aaron Jones stated after the sport. “We’re nonetheless the Packers.”
Now, all eyes will flip to New York for Rodgers’ first begin of the season on Monday night time. If historical past appears to be repeating itself the 39-year-old Rodgers now should play within the shadow of not solely his youthful self but additionally of Favre, whose one yr with the Jets fell to items after a promising begin. That’s a whole lot of stress to play beneath, however Rodgers has put all of it on himself.
Co-MVPs of the week
Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins. A lot of the preseason discuss across the AFC East has been concerning the Buffalo Payments and the Rodgers-led Jets. However Tagovailoa was a reliable MVP candidate final season earlier than struggling a number of concussions. On Sunday, he appeared extra like his previous self as he threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-34 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Tyreek Hill caught two of them, whereas selecting up 215 receiving yards. If these two proceed to be on the identical web page, the AFC East shall be a three-horse race.
Video of the week
Atlanta Falcons working again Bijan Robinson scored his crew’s first landing, which additionally doubled as his first NFL landing. It was an important begin for what many consider shall be an Offensive Rookie of the Yr marketing campaign for Robinson. It got here in a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Panthers rookie QB Bryce Younger had a much less spectacular debut: this yr’s No 1 total choose threw two interceptions and a single landing on his NFL debut.
Stat of the week
82. That’s what number of passing yards Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow managed in a 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, a profession low. It’s not the efficiency you need after changing into the league’s highest-paid participant. In Burrow’s protection, he was coming back from a calf harm and taking part in on the highway in depressing climate.
Contemplating the extenuating circumstances, it’s not time for the Bengals to hit the panic button simply but. And I doubt Browns followers are going to get forward of themselves, given their metropolis’s sports activities luck. However they’ve a very good all-round crew, two excellent gamers in Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett and it’s unlikely Deshaun Watson shall be as unhealthy as he was final yr. Cleveland might contend within the AFC North.
Elsewhere across the league
Speaking of contenders, the Dallas Cowboys appeared like a very good shout for a deep run the comparatively weak NFC after dismantling the New York Giants of their season opener. Their protection – among the best models within the league – swarmed Giants QB Daniel Jones sacking him seven occasions, serving to Dallas to a 40-0 blowout victory. The battle between the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles within the NFC East ought to be enjoyable.
San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy threw for 220 yards in a 30-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Plus, he got here up with a nifty two-handed backward fumble restoration proper when Pittsburgh appeared like they have been going to make a comeback. Purdy didn’t appear to point out many indicators of being affected by harm or regression to the imply after his out-of-nowhere rise to stardom final season. “Purdy shut some haters up,” defensive finish Nick Bosa stated after the sport. “I believe at any time when a man comes again from an harm, individuals sort of don’t anticipate him to make one other leap within the second yr.”
The New England Patriots missed the playoffs final yr and quarterback Mac Jones took an enormous step again after an encouraging rookie season. The consultants didn’t give them a lot of an opportunity towards the Eagles on Sunday.
Nicely, generally the consultants are proper! With Tom Brady watching within the stands, the Eagles took a 16-0 lead earlier than the Pats’ protection shut Philadelphia down and gave Jones the possibility to chop the deficit to 2 factors earlier than the scheduled half-time celebration of his predecessor. In Brady’s period, there was no such factor as ethical victories in New England. However given the crew’s lowered expectations today, the 25-20 loss to a Tremendous Bowl contender might have been worse.
The Seattle Seahawks ought to be competing for a playoff spot this season whereas the Los Angeles Rams shouldn’t be heading wherever good. For not less than one sport, nonetheless, the Rams appeared just like the superior crew, counting on three dashing touchdowns (two from Kyren Williams and one courtesy of Cam Akers) and 334 passing yards from Matthew Stafford to defeat the Seahawks 30-13.
Other than a late-game harm, Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s first NFL begin was a relative success. In opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Richardson threw his first profession passing landing, added his first profession dashing landing into the combo and customarily appeared good throughout a largely aggressive sport. Nevertheless, when the clock hit triple zeroes, the Jaguars have been forward 31-21. As the one crew within the AFC South to start out the season with a win, the Jaguars are the division favorites till confirmed in any other case. However the Colts confirmed spectacular indicators of life on Sunday, and Richardson – see by many as a piece in progress – appeared forward of schedule.
When Arizona linebacker Kyzir White took down Washington QB Sam Howell through the Cardinals’ 20-16 loss to the Commanders, he additionally by accident knocked over an harmless official. To his credit score, the ref instantly righted himself and threw the penalty flag in a single fluid movement. Who says they’re not athletes?
The primary cross of CJ Stroud’s NFL profession ended up being to himself, a bizarre statistical quirk he shares with Favre. It wasn’t precisely a QB duel in Baltimore, as neither Stroud nor Lamar Jackson managed a landing. Regardless of shedding beginning RB JK Dobbins for the season to a torn achilles within the third quarter, the Ravens’ working sport stored them nicely forward of the rebuilding Texans for the ultimate rating of 25-9.
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs celebrated successful the Tremendous Bowl by indulging in an old style NFL custom: the championship hangover. Thanks largely to a depressing efficiency from the receiving corps, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs fell to the Detroit Lions 21-20 within the NFL season opener on Thursday. It’s a constructive signal for a Lions crew that many consider will win their division this yr and an vital lesson for Kansas Metropolis: final yr was final yr.
