Packers vs. Bears Recap: Green Bay grinds out ugly 23-16 win in Chicago

The Green Bay Packers still don't have a crisp offense right now, but against the Chicago Bears on Sunday it didn't seem to much matter.

Green Bay got one big scoring play on the ground and worked their way into field goal range a few times, but Brett Hundley completed a terrific touchdown pass late in the game to put the contest away. Mitchell Trubisky was rarely a significant threat throwing the football early, and the Packers sacked him five times - three by Nick Perry - but he threw a 46-yard touchdown to Josh Bellamy to pull the Bears back in the game before Hundley's magnificent throw to Davante Adams.

That throw gave the Packers a 23-13 lead and effectively sealed their victory over the favored Bears.

Here's how it happened.

FIRST HALF

The Packers jumped out to an early lead, forcing a three and out on the Bears' opening possession and setting up Brett Hundley for a lengthy drive. He converted two of three third downs on the series, both on slant routes our of empty formations. Randall Cobb took one of those slants for 38 yards, setting up an early Mason Crosby field goal.

The Bears tied it up on their next series, as the Packers couldn't get to Mitchell Trubisky. Connor Barth's 45-yard field goal knotted up the score at three.

A terrible timeout was taken on the Packers' next series, though it would not come back to haunt them at the end the first half. Lining up on 4th and inches from their own 30 yard line, the Packers tried to draw the Bears offsides. However instead of letting the clock run out on the first quarter - the game and play clocks were separated by a few seconds - Hundley inexplicably took a timeout before the Packers punted.

The Packers did strike back after another Bears punt. With Aaron Jones out of the game, Ty Montgomery burst through a huge hole, going the distance for a 37-yard touchdown and a 10-3 Packers lead. Unfortunately for the Packers, Montgomery would leave the game shortly thereafter, likely reaggravating his broken ribs.

However, the defense tried to give it back quickly. Trubisky hit a wide open Dontrelle Inman for a big gain up the sideline, then Benny Cunningham took a screen pass down to the one-yard line. However, John Fox challenged the play, arguing that the back did not step out and touched the pylon with the football.

In a hilarious replay reversal, the refs did change the call - but they made it a touchback, as Cunningham stayed in bounds but lost control of the football before touching it to the pylon. That gave the Packers the ball at their own 20.

After trading punts, the Bears drove down late in the second quarter to kick a field goal and pull within 10-6 at the half.

SECOND HALF

The opening drive of the second half ended in a score for the Packers, with Mason Crosby kicking his second field goal of the game. Davon House's third down sack of Mitchell Trubisky forced another Bears punt, and the remainder of the third quarter consisted of a whole lot of ugly quarterback play in both sides.

To illustrate, the Bears had exactly zero yards of offense in the third quarter.

In the early fourth, however, Jamaal Williams began to grind down the Chicago defense. His tough running got the Packers in range for a 50-yard Crosby field goal and a 16-6 lead early in the 4th.

The Bears responded with their first touchdown of the day on the next drive, a 46-yard heave from Trubisky to Josh Bellamy. Davon House got beaten early with speed, then couldn't catch up as Bellamy made the catch just before he crossed the goal line to make the score 16-13.

On the Packers' ensuing series, a throw over the middle to Davante Adams picked up an early first down before Williams moved the chains again with a pair of runs. Hundley then scampered for a gain of 17 on third down to get into the red zone.

Two plays later, Hundley completed the best pass of his NFL career. He scrambled right, then found a covered Davante Adams in the front right corner of the end zone, fitting the football in over Kyle Fuller for a perfect touchdown pass and a 23-13 lead.

Chicago kicked a quick field goal to pull within seven with about 3:20 to go, but the Packers were able to run out the clock. It was a huge 42-yard pass from Hundley to Adams on a third and ten just before the two-minute warning that should have put the nail in the coffin.

However, Justin Vogel dropped the ball on the hold on a field goal attempt that would have made it a 10-point game again. That gave the Bears the football with a minute left and no timeouts.

The defense was able to force a failed fourth down conversion, however, sealing the victory.

INJURIES

The Packers lost two players to injury in this game. Running back Aaron Jones left the game early with a knee injury, followed shortly thereafter by Ty Montgomery.