Fundamental football gave way to flag football at Soldier Field as the Chicago Bears, not the Green Bay Packers grabbed the lead in the NFC North as Chicago scored a 20-17 victory. Robbie Gould's 19 yard field goal with :04 to play delivered the clinching points but this was a game the Packers had every right to win, except they did so many things wrong. The were called for a franchise record 18 penalties, costing them 152 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Green Bay built a 10-0 first half lead on Aaron Rodgers 7 yard strike to Greg Jennings and a 38 yard Mason Crosby field goal. Despite passing for 316 yards, gaining 379 as a team and controlling the clock for nearly 36 minutes, the Packers wouldn't score again until a wild a wooly 4th quarter. It was Devin Hester's dangerous return ability that brought Chicago back. A 28 yard runback of Tim Masthay punt in the second quarter set up Jay Cutler's 9 yard scoring pass to Greg Olson and then early in the 4th, Hester broke off a 62 yard punt return for a score, his 12th kick runback for a touchdown in his career. That put the Bears up 14-10 but the Packers answered, driving 72 yards in 12 plays with Rodgers running to the right pylon for a score to move back in front by a field goal. That's when the penalties really started piling up. Frank Zombo crashed into Cutler for a 15 yard flag, negating an interception by Nick Barnett. Nick Collins also received a personal foul for 15 on a drive that led to the game tying field goal. Rodgers then was called for grounding and one play later, Brian Urlacher punched the ball out of James Jones' arm in front of the Packers bench and Chicago recovered. Cutler underthrew a ball for Greg Olsen and Collins intercepted, only to have it taken away when Morgan Burnett was flagged for interference. That put the ball on the 9 and the Bears ran down the clock to set up Gould's game winning boot. Penalties and special teams were about the only two areas when the Bears were superior but that's no consolation to the Pack, now looking up at Chicago in the NFC north as we near the quarter pole. Here are some locker room quotes from the Packers after the hanky panky Monday nighter in the windy city:
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