A Losing Effort

A quick glance at the final statistics from the Packers/Bears affair on Sunday Night are a little unnerving. Consider the following:


The Bears picked up 18 first downs; the Packers just 12.

Chicago won the time of possession battle 33 minutes to 27.

The Bears (3 for 25) had fewer penalties for less yardage than the Packers (6 for 45).

Chicago's offense put up more than 100 more yards passing than Green Bay (266 to 150). (A third of those passing yards, you recall, came on a single, game-winning play near the end of the game.)

And it's not as though the Packers compensated for that deficit by having a terrific ground attack. Neither team ran the ball well. But, again, Chicago at least ran it less badly (86 yards) than we did (76 yards).

On paper, therefore, you'd have to conclude that it was a losing effort on Sunday Night. We are fortunate to have come away with a win, owing largely to the fact that Jay Cutler was so fond of giving us the ball.

Because the Week One performance was such a departure from our preseason accomplishments, one has to wonder which team is the real one. Perhaps this Sunday against the Bengals the real Green Bay Packers will please stand up.