By admin 
The Green Bay Packers did more than dominate the Chicago Bears 31-7 on Sunday. They took away the motion, jet sweeps, misdirection and opportunistic runs that had made Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offense difficult to prepare for. The reward? Five forced turnovers and allowing only 246 total yards. The performance offered a needed answer for a defense adjusting to life without Green Bay linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (Achilles).
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Locked On Packers host Peter Bukowski argued the Packers had answers for the Bears’ entire package of gadget concepts, including orbit motion, jet sweeps and carries designed for receivers. Chicago finished with 81 rushing yards on 24 attempts, and its nontraditional ball carriers combined for one yard on six rushes. That mattered because the Packers could not simply sit back after building an early lead; they repeatedly stopped concepts intended to create easy numbers advantages on the perimeter.
The defense also made the plays it had missed in earlier weeks. Packers safety Xavier McKinney intercepted Tyson Bagent on Chicago’s second possession, and linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper came away with a goal-line interception later in the game. The Bears ultimately committed five turnovers, turning a game that briefly tightened at 14-7 into a decisive result.
Packers Squad Show co-host Jason Hirschhorn credited defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s willingness to vary the picture before the snap, including safety movement and defensive back pressure. Green Bay did not need one static answer against an offense built to punish predictability. The unit changed its presentation, crowded the edges against outside-zone looks, and made Chicago’s backup quarterbacks hesitate when the coverage rotated after the snap.
That flexibility becomes more important after Cooper’s season-ending injury and with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (Achilles) also facing a potentially significant absence. Green Bay cannot replace either player with one-for-one substitutes. It can, however, lean further into a safety group featuring McKinney, Javon Bullard, and Evan Williams, while using pressure and alignment to create negative plays.
The Packers will face a different challenge against Dallas, but Sunday supplied a usable defensive formula: force offenses to earn every yard, disguise the matchups, and capitalize when the quarterback offers a takeaway. Against Chicago, that approach did not merely slow Johnson’s play sheet. It made it irrelevant.
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Green Bay next needs to show that its aggressive, adaptable approach can travel beyond a rivalry game and hold up against Dallas.
Packers News and Notes
– Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Christian Watson caught six passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns, including a 53-yard score that put the game out of reach after halftime.
– Hargrave left Sunday’s game after suffering an Achilles injury, adding another personnel question for a front that had already lost Cooper. The Packers will need more from their rotational defensive linemen if Hargrave misses extended time.
More on the Green Bay Packers
- Jordan Love Shreds Bears — Can He Keep It Going?
- Grading HC Matt LaFleur’s Performance vs. Bears in Week 5
- Winners and Losers in Packers 31-7 Victory Over Bears
- Packers DT Javon Hargrave Leaves Game vs. Bears with Potential Season-ending Injury
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This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 9:00 PM.