Two-play stretch in a tough spot sparked Packers offense vs. Bears

Up 10-7 in the first half, the Packers converted a 2nd-and-28 situation – and it sparked a pair of touchdowns to bust open the game.

A two-play stretch facing a tough spot in the second quarter helped spark the offense of the Green Bay Packers during Sunday night’s 27-10 win over the Chicago Bears.

Both Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur mentioned the importance of the sequence. After a 10-yard holding penalty on Royce Newman on first down and an 8-yard loss on a sack put the Packers into a 2nd-and-28 situation from the Chicago 42-yard line, Rodgers connected with rookie Romeo Doubs on a catch-and-run for 20 yards and then found Randall Cobb for nine yards on 3rd-and-8 to convert the first down and get the Packers into the red zone.

What was looking like a potential punt situation quickly turned into valuable points.

“The one big sequence that really turned this for us was the 2nd-and-28,” Rodgers said. “We got seven out of that, and that kind of turned the tide, confidence-wise and momentum-wise for us.”

Doubs gets credit for creating an explosive play on second down. He showed real burst as he weaved through defenders on a quick screen to pick up a big chunk of yards and give the Packers a chance on third down. Rodgers said the play was well-blocked ahead of Doubs.

Cobb did the rest. The Packers lined him up in the backfield, and the veteran slot receiver ran an angle route against linebacker Roquan Smith to open up a passing window. Rodgers made the throw, Cobb got past the sticks and the Packers kept driving. Rodgers called it a “nice route.”

Two plays after the third down conversion, Aaron Jones caught a pop pass from Rodgers and followed the block of A.J. Dillon to find the end zone from eight yards out and give the Packers a 17-7 lead.

Rodgers said they were “unexpected points” considering the situation.

The Bears could have gotten the ball back down 10-7. Instead, the Packers went up 10 points and then pushed the pedal down on offense.

On the next drive, the Packers traveled 67 yards in seven plays to extend the lead to 24-7.

In the second quarter, the Packers scored 21 points and ran away with the win.

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Ranking 8 of the best 2020 free agent wide receivers

There are currently 70 wide receivers that are set to be free agents according to Spotrac. There’s a chance some of these pass-catchers will get the franchise tag, but most of them will end up testing the free agency market. Some may end up on a practice squad or out of the league, while others will end up cashing in. It’s the latter group we are focusing on here. These eight wide receivers are the best on the market.

A.J. Green

It doesn’t matter that Green didn’t play last year and has been hobbled by injuries two years in a row. We’re talking about A.J. Green here. He was drafted fourth overall in 2011. He’s made the Pro Bowl seven times. He has physical abilities that wide receivers can only dream of having. He makes big plays. He can stretch the field. He can be a possession wide receiver. Yes, his injuries are a concern, but no one should have rushed back to get on the field for that Bengals team last year. There’s a good chance Green is franchise tagged. There’s no way Cincinnati lets him leave without compensation.

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