The Green Bay Packers ran into the Chicago Bears at the right time.
Maybe the unseasonably warm weather at Lambeau Field should have signaled that the afternoon would be a departure from the team's troublesome start to the season.
But even with the Chicago Bears significantly shorthanded, with quarterback Caleb Williams
and running back Kyle Monangai held out, nothing could be taken for granted in the matchup.Green Bay's two previous wins to offset a pair of highly concerning losses seemed more reflective of its opponents' shortcomings than its own standing. And while the Packers surely benefited from facing an offense far from peak form, Sunday's 31-7 win was an encouraging breakthrough in a turbulent early stretch of the season.
In a rivalry
where the Bears claimed bragging rights in rather loud fashion in each of the last two tilts, a reset was a welcome development for Matt LaFleur and Co.
Perhaps there's not much that can be gleaned about the trajectory of the NFC North race from the result. Yet the showing still said plenty about the current state of the Packers.
Jordan Love settles in and attacks vertically
Jordan Love and a revitalized downfield passing attack drove the resurgence. Repeatedly cutting the ball loose on deep shots, Love threw for 367 yards and two touchdowns while still completing 25 of 31 passes.
Just two weeks ago, the notion of Love getting back to straining defenses in such a fashion seemed unfathomable. The offensive line, after all, was subjecting him to quick pressures at an unparalleled rate.
This, however, was a vintage performance by Love from start to finish. On the Packers' first drive, Love dropped back to midfield and heaved a pass all the way to the goal line, where a wide-open Christian Watson let it fall into his hands before tumbling to the ground.
That connection would fuel Green Bay's day. When undrafted rookie J. Michael Sturdivant's 43-yard touchdown catch just after halftime was wiped out by an offensive pass interference penalty, Love came back one play later and fired a deep heave down the middle to Watson, who came down with the touchdown over Bears rookie safety Dillon Thieneman.
Watson finished the day with six catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns. But second-year wideout Matthew Golden also made his mark as a field stretcher, hauling in a 50-yard reception and finishing with a career-high 123 yards. Tight end Tucker Kraft also got in on the action with a 46-yard connection.
The day sharply contrasted with even a week earlier, when Green Bay tried to navigate its new outlook up front by relying primarily on throws behind or near the line of scrimmage. This, however, was Love fully unleashed. The result was the quarterback, who took just two sacks and the offense both at their best.
Running game still not resolved
Green Bay initially had reason to believe it could make a major leap on another front as well.
A running game that struggled to gain traction while Josh Jacobs remained on the commissioner's exempt list finally showed life on the offense's second drive. MarShawn Lloyd delivered a signature moment for the attack when he bowled over Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson en route to the end zone, then hit his opponent with a "too-small" celebration.
But Lloyd finished with just 31 yards on 10 carries, as the Packers finished with 70 total yards on the ground. The bottom line might have looked even worse if not for Kaleb Johnson's 23-yard scamper with the game mostly in hand.
Perhaps most encouraging for Green Bay, however, was that LaFleur let Love lead the way rather than keep forcing what wasn't there with the team's ball carriers. So long as Jacobs remains out, the Packers might not have any answers to complement the aerial attack. But when the protection holds up, this aggressive version of the offense allows Green Bay to compensate for that shortcoming.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jordan Love and Packers beat Bears with outburst that felt impossible
