Normally I write about the best performances against a particular team in the lead-up to that week’s game. But against an opponent as old as the Bears, I think we should dig a little deeper.
The Packers have been playing against the Bears for virtually their entire history and have had great performances throughout that history. But who were the first players to hit some noteworthy high-water marks against Chicago? I’m glad you asked. Here are the earliest -recorded big performances by a few of the Packers’
greatest players over the years.
First 300-yard passing game – Lynn Dickey, 1983
Given the relatively late adoption of passing relative to running, ti’s not a surprise to see it took a while for the Packers to hit a big number through the air. But, in a 31-28 win in 1983, Lynn Dickey became the first Packers passer to surpass 300 yards in a game against the Bears.
Amusingly, 10 years and one day later, Brett Favre became the first Packers player to break 400 yards passing against the Bears — the only time in his Packers career that he’d pass for 400 or more yards.
First 100-yard rushing game – Clark Hinkle, 1936
Given how spotty early stats are, there was almost certainly a 100-yard rushing day against the Bears earlier than this, but Clark Hinkle’s 1936 effort is the earliest example from the Pro Football Reference database.
Hinkle, considered by early Packers historians to be the greatest player to ever wear the green and gold, needed just 13 carries to crack 100 yards, thanks in part to a 59-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
First 100-yard receiving game – Verne Lewellen, 1926
New research recently published by Pro Football Reference is giving us a look at some of the best statistical performers in early Packers history, and you can’t mention that category of player without bringing up Verne Lewellen.
A weapon in all three phases of the game, Lewellen caught six passes for 109 yards in a 1926 draw against the Bears. Even Lewellen’s greatness apparently couldn’t solve the deadlock.
First sack – Cliff Lewis and Ezra Johnson, 1983
Sacks weren’t an official stat in the NFL until 1982, and according to Pro Football Reference, the Packers didn’t manage any in their two games against the Bears the first season the stat was official. But they made up for lost time in 1983, recording four sacks between Cliff Lewis and Ezra Johnson (one and three apiece, respectively). Johnson technically gets the honor here, as he nabbed quarterback Jim McMahon on the fourth play of the game to set the tone.
Incidentally, this was the same game in which Lynn Dickey passed for 300 yards, as mentioned earlier in this piece.
First interception – Don Hutson, 1940
Finally, Don Hutson gets the tentative honor of the first on-record interception against the Bears. Given that the Packers and Bears had been playing for around 20 years by this point, it seems probable that someone probably grabbed a pick before this point, but you never know. Maybe Hutson is just the beneficiary of a weird statistical quirk!
