As Taylor Swift once sang, I think I’ve seen this film before. However, this time, I did like the ending.

In their second NFC North matchup of the year, the Green Bay Packers (5-1, 2-0 NFC North) topped the Chicago Bears (3-3, 1-1 NFC North) 24-14 at Solider Field.

The Packers were the first to take the field on what was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Chicago. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers got things rolling with a 16-yard rush and a first down on Green Bay’s opening play. Just two plays later on 2^nd and 4, Rodgers connected with wide receiver Allen Lazard for 13-yards and the first down. However, the two early flash plays weren’t enough for the Packers. On the next set of downs, Rodgers missed wide receiver Davante Adams on a deep pass on second down and was sacked by linebacker Khalil Mack on third down, forcing Green Bay to punt. Rookie center Josh Myers suffered a knee injury on the drive and was later ruled out for the game.

Contrary to the Packers, the Bears got things cooking early. Running back Khalil Herbert opened the game up for Chicago with back-to-back runs (9 yards, then 2 yards) to move the chains for a first down. Then, rookie quarterback Justin Fields connected with tight end Cole Kmet for 15 yards and a first down. After fumbling on first down and recovering it, Fields connected with wide receiver Darnell Mooney for 11 yards on 2^nd and 14, and then wide receiver Allen Robinson on 3^rd and 3 for 20 yards to keep the drive alive. And, as the Bears creeped into Packers’ territory, Green Bay cornerback Isaac Yiadom was flagged for defensive pass interference and gifted Chicago with a 26-yard penalty to put them at the 1-yard line. From there, Herbert rushed into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to give Chicago a 7-0 lead.

After that, Green Bay responded with a whole lot of nothing. Rodgers was sacked on 2^nd and 7 for a loss of 7 yards and they went three and out after failing to convert on 3^rd and 14.

After his poor performance on the first drive, Yiadom came out and cornerback Rasul Douglas came in for the Packers. Chicago continued to have a field day with Green Bay’s defense too, opening up their drive with another big run from Herbert— this time for 25 yards. Defensive tackle Kenny Clark was injured on the play but was thankfully able to walk off on his own power and returned after just a few plays.

Later in the drive on 3^rd and 5, safety Darnell Savage came up with a big play and stopped Fields on the run just 1 yard shy of the first down marker. However, the Bears went for it on 4^th and 1 and converted after Herbert just barely pushed by his left tackle for a 1-yard gain. The call was so close, thanks to safety Adrian Amos, and the Packers decided to challenge it. After the review, the ruling on the field was confirmed and the Bears continued to march on.

Despite their luck on the 4^th down play, Chicago was quickly humbled. On 3^rd and 7, Fields threw a deep pass to the end zone thinking he had earned a free play (he did not) and the only person even remotely close to the ball was Savage. Luckily for the Packers, he came up big with the interception and Green Bay took over at their own 20-yard line.

To open their next offensive drive, the Packers were gifted 15 yards on 1^st and 10 after the Bears earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after sharing a few choice words with Aaron Rodgers. From there, Green Bay started to really settle in. After tight end Robert Tonyan came up just a yard short on 3^rd down, the Packers made the call to go for it on 4^th and 1 and converted after a quarterback sneak (yes, you read that right!) from Aaron Rodgers. Then, on 2^nd and 10, Rodgers connected with wide receiver Davante Adams for a 32-yard gain to propel the Packers into the red zone. From there, running back Aaron Jones took over and rushed his way to the 1-yard line for the Packers after four straight strong runs. On 3^rd and 1, Rodgers executed a perfect shovel pass to Lazard for a 1-yard touchdown to tie this one up at 7-7.

After that, Green Bay’s defense continued to show more signs of life. They quickly forced a three and out after linebacker Jonathan Garvin got to Fields for a 4-yard sack.

To open up the next offensive drive, running back AJ Dillon pushed by the Bears for a career-long 36-yard run for the Packers. Then, Rodgers continued to heat up and connected with Jones on 2^nd and 9 for a 12-yard gain. Just three plays later on 3^rd and goal at Chicago’s 15, Rodgers made a ridiculous throw to wide receiver Equanimeous (EQ) St. Brown for what should have been a touchdown.

However, the lovely officials of the National Football League had different plans for us. After initially ruling the catch out of bounds (even though both of EQ’s feet were clearly inbounds) and throwing an offensive pass interference flag on EQ for simply playing football, the officials then changed their minds and said the pass WAS caught inbounds for a touchdown so the Packers would get one more chance to score on 3^rd and goal from the Bears’ 25-yard line.  

Green Bay was only able to pick up 5 extra yards off a catch from Adams, so kicker Mason Crosby would have to come out and attempt a 39-yard field goal. This week there was no doubt, and Crosby drilled the kick through the uprights and the Packers took a 10-7 lead.

To close the half, the Bears got one more opportunity to put points on the board. On 2^nd and 7, Fields scrambled for 7 yards to pick up the first and keep the chains moving. Then, on 1^st and 10, Fields connected with wide receiver Marquise Goodwin for 12 yards and another first down. The Packers then gifted the Bears with 15 yards after Douglas hit Fields late and was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

However, the momentum was short-lived for Chicago. Once again, Fields went deep and threw it to the end zone where only a Packers player was. Amos was there to make the interception but couldn’t quite stay in bounds and it was ruled incomplete. Then, defensive end mean Dean Lowry came up with a big 10-yard sack on third down to close the half out for the Packers.  

The Bears got the ball to start the second half and had to punt it away in less than two minutes. On 3^rd and 6, Garvin got to Fields to make a big stop and force the Bears off the field.

As a result, the Packers continued to dominate. To open the drive, Rodgers connected with Adams for an 11-yard gain and the first down. Then, Jones exploded out of the backfield for a huge 28-yard pickup. To make things even easier, on 3^rd and 4, cornerback Jaylon Johnson felt the pressure of the Davante Adams effect and was flagged for defensive pass interference which gave the Packers a first down.

After a 9-yard catch from tight end Marcedes Lewis and a 1-yard rush from Dillon, the Packers continued to move the chains nicely. From there, Rodgers connected with Jones on back-to-back pass plays, the second resulting in a 12-yard touchdown to extend Green Bay’s lead to 17-7.

Chicago’s offensive struggles only continued on their next drive. After Fields connected with Herbert on and Mooney for first downs, he threw back-to-back incomplete passes, and the Bears were forced to punt.  

The Packers couldn’t find much luck on their next drive either though. After a nice 14-yard pickup from rookie wide receiver Amari Rodgers, Rodgers was sacked by defensive end Akiem Hicks for a 10-yard loss on third down and Green Bay was forced to punt.

At this point, things started to get interesting. After an 82-yard missile from Packers’ punter Corey Bojorquez, the fourth quarter began, and the Bears were not going out without a fight. On 3^rd and 3, Fields finally connected on the deep ball and found Robinson for a 20-yard gain to put the Bears at midfield. Then, Fields connected with Kmet over the middle for a 21-yard gain. On 2^nd and 8, Fields continued to look comfortable and scrambled for a 14-yard pickup to move the chains. On 1^st and 10 at Green Bay’s 16, Herbert rushed for 16 yards and a touchdown, however the play was brought back after a holding penalty on Chicago. Despite being faced with 1^st and 20, the Bears somehow found a way to get six points on the board. After creeping their way closer to the end zone, Fields connected with a wide-open Mooney for a 5-yard touchdown and a 17-14 ballgame.

However, Aaron Charles Rodgers would not leave Soldier Field without reminding the Chicago Bears that he did indeed “own them.” On the Packers next drive, Rodgers connected with Lazard for a 13-yard pickup and the first down. Then, on 2^nd and 10, 12 launched one to 17 for a 41-yard pass play and what would’ve been a touchdown, but Adams just barely stepped out of bounds at the 21-yard line. From there, Jones moved the Packers to the Bears 7-yard line after a nice 6-yard rush.

Then, in one of the most brutally disrespectful yet absolutely awesome moves I’ve seen from Rodgers in his seventeen seasons with the Packers, he scrambles right for 6 yards and a touchdown, falls on his knees, does the belt, and then proceeds to stand up and scream “All my f****** life. I own you. I still own you. I still own you” at the Bears fans in the front rows to make it a 24-14 ballgame.  

With just over four minutes to play in this chippy NFC North matchup, the Bears had one more opportunity to try and hang on against the Packers. However, Kenny Clark took matters into his own grown man hands.   

Just when the Bears started to creep into field goal territory, Clark came up with a huge sack for a loss of 12-yards on 1^st and 10. Then, on 3^rd and 15, Clark came through again for the Packers and sacked Fields again, this time for an 11-yard loss. The Bears attempted to go for it on 4^th and 26, but Fields’ pass was incomplete deep right, and the Packers remain undefeated in division play with a 24-14 win.

What we learned: Aaron Rodgers owns the Chicago Bears

Aaron Rodgers would like to apologize…for absolutely nothing.

12 truly does “own” the Bears and improved his all-time record against them to 22-5 on Sunday. According to the FOX broadcast, Rodgers has more wins over Chicago than any other team in the league.

Rodgers finished the day 17/23 for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns (ESPN stats).

What went right: Trusting the run

It’s no secret the Packers are the best version of themselves when the run the ball, and Sunday was proof of that. Getting Jones and Dillon involved was absolutely a game-changer for Green Bay.

Jones led the team in rushing with 13 carries for 76 yards and Dillon was close behind him with 11 carries for 59 yards (ESPN stats).

What went wrong: Injuries and red zone defense (again)

The injury bug already hit the Packers hard this season and Sunday was no exception. After just getting Myers back from a finger injury, Green Bay lost him to a knee injury on the opening drive of the game. Linebacker Preston Smith also left the game with an oblique injury and did not return in the second half. Later on, Savage had to leave the game with a concussion and the Packers were literally down to just Amos as the lone starter in the secondary. I really hope none of these injuries were too serious.

The Packers’ red zone defense also continues to be a problem. After Sunday, 15 trips to the red zone for opponents have resulted in 15 touchdowns against the Packers. While other areas of Green Bay’s defense have improved over the year, this is one that needs some serious attention.

Offensive MVP: Aaron Jones

In addition to a nice game on the ground, running back Aaron Jones also had a nice day in the air on Sunday. He trailed just Davante Adams in receiving and tallied 4 receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown (ESPN stats).

Defensive MVPs: Kenny Clark and Jonathan Garvin

The FOX broadcasters said it multiple times: Kenny Clark is the most important player on Green Bay’s defense.

Despite getting injured early in this one, Clark still found a way to dominate. He finished the day with 3 total tackles, all three of which were solo, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss and 2 QB hits (ESPN stats). Maybe Aaron Rodgers will consider making him a co-owner of the Chicago Bears.

Jonathan Garvin continues to be a nice surprise for the Packers’ defense. He played his tail off on Sunday, made some key stops and applied really great pressure on Fields. He finished the day with 2 tackles, both of which were solo, 1 sack and 1 tackle for a loss (ESPN stats).

Up next, the Green Bay Packers return to Lambeau Field for a week seven matchup with the Washington Football Team. Kickoff is set for Sunday, October 24 at 1 p.m. EST.