The Packers (10-4) overcame a pair of second-half turnovers and two more Mason Crosby missed field goals with stalwart defensive stands and a key interception that led to an offensive touchdown to beat the Bears, 21-13.
The win not only clinched the Packers’ second straight NFC North title, it quieted Brandon Marshall, who said he hated the Packers and their players, and put the rival Bears’ plummeting playoff hopes in an even more precarious position.
With the triumph at Soldier Field, Green Bay wrapped up its fourth consecutive postseason berth and a home playoff game. Here is how Green Bay graded out.
Offense: B+
The Packers racked up nearly 400 yards of total offense. QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 291 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 116.8. The running game got a balanced attack from the backfield committee, 113 yards on 32 rushes (3.5-yard average). But they only scored 21 points, which WR James Jones said afterward is just not good enough for this offense.
Jones had little to apologize for, as he caught all three of Rodgers’ touchdown passes on a variety of plays. Second-year WR Randall Cobb again proved to be Rodgers’ dependable go-to guy, shaking off an uncharacteristic early drop to have more than 100 yards receiving for the second straight game.
On the ground, RB Alex Green labored (13 carries for 35 yards) and Ryan Grant fumbled, but 5-foot-8 sparkplug DuJuan Harris continued to be an electric change-of-pace back, popping out for a 21-yard gain. Previous game’s grade: B
Defense: A
Sunday’s game was the defense’s finest performance of the season. They gave up their second-fewest points (only three more than in the Packers’ Week 2 win over the Bears), and added a trademark interception of QB Jay Cutler.
After giving up the first points of the game on a 15-yard, second quarter TD pass from Cutler to Marshall that epitomized the Packers’ tackling issues, they regrouped. Twice put in bad situations by the offense and special teams -- after Grant’s fumble and following a stupefying special teams gaffe that gave Chicago the ball at Green Bay’s 16 -- they mitigated the damage and held the Bears to a field goal.
Rookie CB Casey Hayward’s sixth interception of the season proved the turning point in the second quarter. OLB Clay Matthews returned from a month-long hamstring injury to record two sacks, giving him 5.5 against the Bears this year and 11 on the season. Previous game’s grade: B-
Special Teams: D+
P Tim Masthay was clutch. He came up with an impassioned fist pump -- after coffin-cornering a punt to the Bears’ 3-yard line with less than a minute remaining.
Randall Cobb was part of one of the worst special teams plays in recent memory in the fourth quarter. He fielded a punt, threw it across the field to WR Jeremy Ross, who hadn’t touched the ball in a game this season. Ross dropped the backward pass, allowing the Bears to recover inside the Packers 20.
K Mason Crosby, who was thought to be coming out of his season-long slump, missed both field goal attempts Sunday, from 43 and 42. He’s now 17 of 29 on the year, a league-worst 58.6 percent. Previous game’s grade: B+
Coaching: C+
McCarthy’s offensive gameplan was sound, but a couple calls were questionable. For example, electing to go for it on fourth-and-6 from Chicago’s 26 (they got it), but to attempt a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the Bears’ 24 (it missed).
Also, the decision by McCarthy and special teams coach Shawn Slocum to try the risky punt-return trick play with an 11-point lead midway through the fourth quarter was indefensible. McCarthy said after the game he called it because Rodgers had a minor ankle injury and they wanted to go for the big play.
Defensive coordinator Dom Capers made the right adjustments and his players executed. After the game, Charles Woodson sarcastically said, "I guess we have to give credit to our defensive MVP again, Dom Capers. He did a great job out there, played well, made plays when he needed to. Hats off to Dom." Previous game’s grade: B+
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.