Jordan Love delivers in opener, throws 3 TD passes as Packers beat Bears 38-20
CHICAGO (AP) — Jordan Love looked like he might be ready to follow in the footsteps of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, throwing for three touchdowns to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 38-20 season-opening victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Aaron Jones ran for a touchdown and caught one, helping the Packers pull away in the second half for their ninth straight win over the Bears. Green Bay was 25-5 against Chicago with Rodgers, counting an NFC championship game win at Soldier Field in the 2010 season, and the Packers were 22-10 in games Favre started.
The Bears came in thinking bigger things are in store for them and quarterback Justin Fields after a busy offseason. But for a team that set a franchise record for losses with 14 last year, this was a discouraging start.
Love completed 15 of 27 passes for 245 yards and posted a 123.2 rating. It was a promising outing for a quarterback whose only other start was a loss at Kansas City in 2021 when Rodgers was sidelined with COVID-19.
Jones caught two passes for 86 yards, including a 51-yarder off a screen that led to a scoring run for him in the third quarter.
Romeo Doubs added two touchdown catches. Quay Walker returned an interception 37 yards for a TD, and the Packers won for the 13th time in 14 games at Soldier Field.
The Bears lost their 11th straight game overall, and their 10th in a row against NFC North opponents.
Fields was 24 of 37 for 216 yards. He had a touchdown pass and an interception in a performance that did little to answer biggest question hanging over the team: Can he become the passer the Bears need him to be?
Fields also ran for 59 yards.
Prized acquisition DJ Moore had two catches for 25 yards. Darnell Mooney added 53 yards receiving and a TD.
The Packers scored touchdowns on their first two drives in the second half to break open a four-point game.
Jones set up a TD on the opening drive of the third when he took a screen from Love — throwing off his back foot and across the field — and turned it into a 51-yard gain to the 7. Jones ran it in from the 1.
The Packers' Jayden Reed returned a punt 35 yards to the Chicago 42, leading to another score. Love hit Jones on a slant for a 35-yard TD, making it 24-6.
The Bears pulled within 10 with about a minute left in the third when Darnell Mooney caught a 20-yard TD pass from Fields. Khahlil Herbert converted the 2-point run.
But the Packers quickly quieted the crowd with a 61-yard touchdown drive. Love found a wide-open Luke Musgrave for a 37-yard pass to the 4 after fumbling the snap and threw TD to Doubs on the next play, making it 31-14 with 13:30 remaining.
Walker then picked off Fields and returned the interception 37 yards for a touchdown to make it a 24-point game.
INJURIES
Packers: The Packers announced Jones had hamstring injury after he came up limping on his 35-yard touchdown catch. ... Walker was evaluated for a concussion
Bears: S Kyler Gordon (hand) exited in the second half.
UP NEXT
Packers: Visit Atlanta next Sunday.
Bears: Visit Tampa Bay next Sunday.
