Dan Wiederer: ‘All my (bleeping) life! I own you!’ With a win-sealing touchdown run — and one harsh insult — Aaron Rodgers adds to the Chicago Bears’ misery again
Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — Maybe the fan was a figment of his imagination. But Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers swears he saw her somewhere in the front row of Section 128 in the southwest corner of Soldier Field.
Rodgers had just tumbled across the goal line on a pivotal 6-yard touchdown run late in Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.
He was feeling it in that moment. The adrenaline rush from such a crucial run. The momentum of the Packers’ nine-point lead. The familiar thrill of sticking it to the Soldier Field crowd.
As he began to soak in the euphoria, Rodgers said one angry spectator caught his eye.
“All I saw was a woman giving me the double bird,” he said. “So I’m not sure exactly what came out of my mouth next.”
Rodgers let loose. In the middle of a raucous Packers celebration beside the south end zone, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time shouted a truly cold-blooded insult at a horde of fans who would love to know one day what it’s like to have a legendary quarterback of their own.
“I own you!” Rodgers yelled. “All my (bleeping) life! I own you! I still own you!”
The quarterback’s postgame smirk was a little less harsh but probably as cruel.
“Sometimes you black out on the field,” Rodgers explained. “In a good way.”
Added Packers running back Aaron Jones about the jeer that echoed across the NFL: “I love it. What can you say? He’s right.”
Indeed, Rodgers is on point about owning the Bears. Sunday’s 24-14 victory was his 22nd win in 27 tries as a starting quarterback in this rivalry. It was his fifth in a row and improved his record to 11-3 at Soldier Field, leaving him with an ear-to-ear grin.
“I love this rivalry,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun over the years.”
For him maybe.
Who knows what Sunday’s loss means to the Bears season? With 11 games remaining, they are back to straddling the .500 fence, now 3-3 and two games behind the Packers in the NFC North. It might take a whole lot of effort and improvement and good fortune to close that gap before the teams’ next meeting Dec. 12 at Lambeau Field.
What was apparent Sunday has been apparent for far too long: As long as Rodgers is running the show, the Packers remain in full control.
Production-wise, Rodgers has enjoyed far greater outings against the Bears. But as far as calmly handling the game and making clutch plays when clutch plays were needed? Rodgers was, as usual, all over that assignment.
He finished 17-for-23 passing for 195 yards, his fifth-lowest yardage output against the Bears in the complete games he has played. And neither of his touchdown passes were all that remarkable, the first a basic 1-yard shovel toss to Allen Lazard and later a 12-yard checkdown that Jones caught 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
But Rodgers’ late touchdown scramble was equal parts alert and determined. As he got outside the pocket, he knew he had enough of a head start to outrace Khalil Mack to the pylon. He also had noticed immediately after the snap that edge rusher Robert Quinn had dropped into coverage on the opposite side.
So he took off and crossed the goal line before linebacker Alec Ogletree or safety Eddie Jackson could get there.
“I still feel like I can move around a little bit,” Rodgers said.
Three snaps before that, Rodgers had hit his longest completion of the day, a 41-yarder down the right side to Davante Adams. That wasn’t even the play coach Matt LaFleur dialed up either.
“I actually called the quick-game version of that,” LaFleur said. “And he checked it to a double move.”
Earlier on the Packers sideline, Rodgers and Adams discussed the things they were seeing and feeling from the Bears defense. Then on second-and-10 from the Packers 38 with 7:15 remaining, Rodgers looked at Adams and knew that discussion was about to pay off.
Rodgers glanced right and made eye contact. Adams looked back with the subtlest of head nods.
“My whole body started tingling,” Rodgers said. “I just knew it was going to be one of those special plays.”
It was.
Adams beat cornerback Jaylon Johnson with a nasty move off the line, and the Bears had little help over the top. With Johnson trailing Adams by a good 5 yards and Jackson unable to rotate fast enough, Rodgers dropped a beautiful ball into Adams’ hands.
“I told (Adams) in the locker room, the thing I will miss 20 years down the line are moments where you make a solid adjustment and look over at the guy, and it’s a stud like (him) and he just (nods),” Rodgers said.
Just full-on ownership, right?
That would have been a 62-yard touchdown had the side of Adams’ right foot not grazed the sideline at the 21-yard line.
But that ultimately didn’t matter after Rodgers took the ball into the end zone a few moments later, then took his competitive fire right at the aggravated mob in Section 128.
“All my (bleeping) life! I own you!”
In 14 seasons as the Packers starter, Rodgers has beaten eight Bears starting quarterbacks, adding Justin Fields to that list Sunday.
He has gotten the better of six defensive coordinators, with Sean Desai failing in his first attempt to topple the Packers.
Rodgers has beaten five Bears head coaches — including Matt Nagy six times in seven attempts.
And he has created endless nightmares for so many defenders who have tried to stop him.
After Sunday’s game, Johnson was the only Bears defensive player to speak to reporters. And that session, according to those who tried to jump in, was abruptly cut off without explanation. So it’s hard to know exactly how the Bears defense was feeling after a performance that was solid but not quite good enough.
Tight end Cole Kmet has played only three games in this rivalry. But as a lifelong Bears fan, he has a pretty good pulse on how Rodgers consistently has torn out Chicago’s collective heart.
“It’s pretty frustrating. He’s just really good,” Kmet said. “They don’t really make a lot of mistakes. And if you’re going to beat a team like that, you’re going to have to be perfect. He’s obviously the leader of all that.”
That was just a new voice on an old topic, echoing a familiar refrain.
After the game, Rodgers acknowledged he spent a chunk of the morning pregame session wondering if this might be his last trip to Soldier Field as the Packers quarterback and reflecting accordingly. But he also felt himself drawing from the positive energy bank he has built up over 14 years of succeeding inside the Bears’ home stadium.
“I do feel like there’s a confidence I take into this place because of all the wins we’ve had,” he said.
Outside the visiting locker room, where he has visited 18 times with the Packers, Rodgers seemed to have a glow about him late Sunday afternoon, a fulfillment regarding the latest chapter he added to a rivalry he cherishes.
“I love playing at Soldier Field,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for the fans. And I’m sure there’s a little bit of respect coming back my way. Not a lot of love, I’m sure. But I’ve had a lot of great moments on this field and a lot of great battles.
“Today was much like those other ones.”
Sure was.
Only this one came with a jeer that will be forever etched into Bears-Packers history.
“I still own you!”
Ouch.
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Michael Conroy
How He Got Here: The No. 1 overall pick out of Clemson was immediately deemed the face and savior of the franchise.
How He's Doing: Lawrence has thrown for 873 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 57% of his passes for the 0-4 Jaguars. He had his most efficient game last week in a 24-17 loss at Cincinnati, going 17 of 24 for 204 yards. He had no touchdown throws, but ran for a score and also had his first interception-free performance.
What They're Saying: "You can look around and I'll take our guy any day in the rookie quarterbacks and how they're doing," Bevell said. "Trevor's progression has been great. He's doing a great job. He works his tail off. I think his communication with the players on the team and the guys in the offense, communication during the game, all those things he's just really doing a nice job with it and his play's getting better and better."
Michael Conroy
How He Got Here: The No. 1 overall pick out of Clemson was immediately deemed the face and savior of the franchise.
How He's Doing: Lawrence has thrown for 873 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 57% of his passes for the 0-4 Jaguars. He had his most efficient game last week in a 24-17 loss at Cincinnati, going 17 of 24 for 204 yards. He had no touchdown throws, but ran for a score and also had his first interception-free performance.
What They're Saying: "You can look around and I'll take our guy any day in the rookie quarterbacks and how they're doing," Bevell said. "Trevor's progression has been great. He's doing a great job. He works his tail off. I think his communication with the players on the team and the guys in the offense, communication during the game, all those things he's just really doing a nice job with it and his play's getting better and better."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Seth Wenig
How He Got Here: The Jets zeroed in on him with the No. 2 overall pick early in the pre-draft process, enthralled by his arm strength and ability to make plays on the run and from multiple arm angles.
How He's Doing: The former BYU star had a solid debut with two TD passes and an INT, followed by a miserable performance against New England (no TDs, four INTs, 37.0 quarterback rating) and a lousy game at Denver (no TDs, two more INTs and a season-low 54.3 completion percentage). Wilson, sacked 15 times in three games, bounced back with his best game, going 21 of 34 for 297 yards — including passes of 54 and 53 yards — and two TDs with one INT and one sack in the Jets' first win of the season, 27-24 in OT over Tennessee.
What They're Saying: "What he's still adjusting to is just when it goes a little bit off schedule and the pocket collapses and he has to go, just with how fast NFL defenses and defenders move, what he can get away with and what he can't," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. "And that's been something that he's been working through since, really, rookie minicamp."
Seth Wenig
How He Got Here: The Jets zeroed in on him with the No. 2 overall pick early in the pre-draft process, enthralled by his arm strength and ability to make plays on the run and from multiple arm angles.
How He's Doing: The former BYU star had a solid debut with two TD passes and an INT, followed by a miserable performance against New England (no TDs, four INTs, 37.0 quarterback rating) and a lousy game at Denver (no TDs, two more INTs and a season-low 54.3 completion percentage). Wilson, sacked 15 times in three games, bounced back with his best game, going 21 of 34 for 297 yards — including passes of 54 and 53 yards — and two TDs with one INT and one sack in the Jets' first win of the season, 27-24 in OT over Tennessee.
What They're Saying: "What he's still adjusting to is just when it goes a little bit off schedule and the pocket collapses and he has to go, just with how fast NFL defenses and defenders move, what he can get away with and what he can't," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. "And that's been something that he's been working through since, really, rookie minicamp."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Tony Avelar
How He Got Here: The 49ers traded up and took Lance out of North Dakota State when many assumed they were going to take Jones. He began the season as the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo.
How He's Doing: Lance played just seven snaps through the first three games, throwing a TD pass and running for another score. He got his most extensive action last week when Garoppolo left at halftime with a right calf injury. Lance struggled with his accuracy, but finished 9 of 18 for 157 yards, two touchdowns, a 2-point conversion run and 41 yards rushing. He'll start Sunday for 2-2 San Francisco against Arizona.
What They're Saying: "He'll see some things out there that he's never seen before," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But what you like about him and stuff that he might not be ready for, he can overcompensate with some of his athletic ability and, to me, how competitive he is and how good of a football player he is."
Tony Avelar
How He Got Here: The 49ers traded up and took Lance out of North Dakota State when many assumed they were going to take Jones. He began the season as the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo.
How He's Doing: Lance played just seven snaps through the first three games, throwing a TD pass and running for another score. He got his most extensive action last week when Garoppolo left at halftime with a right calf injury. Lance struggled with his accuracy, but finished 9 of 18 for 157 yards, two touchdowns, a 2-point conversion run and 41 yards rushing. He'll start Sunday for 2-2 San Francisco against Arizona.
What They're Saying: "He'll see some things out there that he's never seen before," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But what you like about him and stuff that he might not be ready for, he can overcompensate with some of his athletic ability and, to me, how competitive he is and how good of a football player he is."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Nam Y. Huh
How He Got Here: The No. 11 overall pick out of Ohio State entered the season as the backup to Andy Dalton, despite many Bears fans clamoring to see the rookie right away.
How He's Doing: Fields threw two passes and ran for a score in the opener in spot duty. He replaced an injured Dalton the next week against Cincinnati, then started the next two games with Dalton sidelined. Fields is still looking for his first TD pass and has to improve on his 48.1 completion percentage, but coach Matt Nagy committed this week to him starting moving forward for the 2-2 Bears.
What They're Saying: "The stage for him never gets too big," Nagy said. "He has been in this position before. I think when you have somebody like that who understands how he has gotten to this point and knows that he's worked hard to get to this point, that he's ready for this opportunity."
Nam Y. Huh
How He Got Here: The No. 11 overall pick out of Ohio State entered the season as the backup to Andy Dalton, despite many Bears fans clamoring to see the rookie right away.
How He's Doing: Fields threw two passes and ran for a score in the opener in spot duty. He replaced an injured Dalton the next week against Cincinnati, then started the next two games with Dalton sidelined. Fields is still looking for his first TD pass and has to improve on his 48.1 completion percentage, but coach Matt Nagy committed this week to him starting moving forward for the 2-2 Bears.
What They're Saying: "The stage for him never gets too big," Nagy said. "He has been in this position before. I think when you have somebody like that who understands how he has gotten to this point and knows that he's worked hard to get to this point, that he's ready for this opportunity."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Elise Amendola
How He Got Here: The Patriots took Jones out of Alabama at No. 15 overall, making him the first quarterback drafted in the opening round by New England since Bledsoe in 1993. He beat out Cam Newton in training camp and became the first rookie QB to start Week 1 for the Patriots, also since Bledsoe.
How He's Doing: Jones' numbers aren't eye popping for the 1-3 Patriots with four TDs and four INTs, but he has been extremely efficient while completing 70% of his passes in what has been a mostly short-passing game offense. He threw for 275 yards and had 19 consecutive completions — the most for an NFL rookie since 1991, and tying the franchise record set by Brady in 2015 — last week in a 19-17 loss to Brady and Tampa Bay.
What They're Saying: "He's certainly responded to anything we've asked him to do," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. "He's obviously got a great mindset and great attitude about it. There's nothing we've asked him to do that he's shied away from or wanted less responsibility. That's not his nature or personality. I appreciate that in the young man."
Elise Amendola
How He Got Here: The Patriots took Jones out of Alabama at No. 15 overall, making him the first quarterback drafted in the opening round by New England since Bledsoe in 1993. He beat out Cam Newton in training camp and became the first rookie QB to start Week 1 for the Patriots, also since Bledsoe.
How He's Doing: Jones' numbers aren't eye popping for the 1-3 Patriots with four TDs and four INTs, but he has been extremely efficient while completing 70% of his passes in what has been a mostly short-passing game offense. He threw for 275 yards and had 19 consecutive completions — the most for an NFL rookie since 1991, and tying the franchise record set by Brady in 2015 — last week in a 19-17 loss to Brady and Tampa Bay.
What They're Saying: "He's certainly responded to anything we've asked him to do," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. "He's obviously got a great mindset and great attitude about it. There's nothing we've asked him to do that he's shied away from or wanted less responsibility. That's not his nature or personality. I appreciate that in the young man."
QB Lamar Jackson dazzles as Ravens erase 16-point deficit to stun Colts in overtime, 31-25
Adrian Kraus
How He Got Here: The former Stanford star was drafted in the third round and wasn't expected to be much more than a backup this season — and maybe beyond. But with a hamstring injury to Tyrod Taylor and the Texans sitting Deshaun Watson during a contract dispute and legal troubles, Mills is the man under center for now.
How He's Doing: Well, he's struggling. He has thrown for 357 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions in his 2 1/2 games. He tied a franchise record with four INTs last week against Buffalo and his 23.4 quarterback rating is the worst of any starter this season. He'll likely return to the sideline for the 0-4 Texans as soon as Taylor's healthy.
What They're Saying: "Ball security, understanding that your job is to protect the ball and when you go back to pass, an incompletion is OK if the guy is not there, you don't have to make a play," coach David Culley said of what he's looking for from Mills this week. "Again, that's from being inexperienced and being young, but at this point right now moving forward as our quarterback, that's something that he has to get better at quicker and faster."
Adrian Kraus
How He Got Here: The former Stanford star was drafted in the third round and wasn't expected to be much more than a backup this season — and maybe beyond. But with a hamstring injury to Tyrod Taylor and the Texans sitting Deshaun Watson during a contract dispute and legal troubles, Mills is the man under center for now.
How He's Doing: Well, he's struggling. He has thrown for 357 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions in his 2 1/2 games. He tied a franchise record with four INTs last week against Buffalo and his 23.4 quarterback rating is the worst of any starter this season. He'll likely return to the sideline for the 0-4 Texans as soon as Taylor's healthy.
What They're Saying: "Ball security, understanding that your job is to protect the ball and when you go back to pass, an incompletion is OK if the guy is not there, you don't have to make a play," coach David Culley said of what he's looking for from Mills this week. "Again, that's from being inexperienced and being young, but at this point right now moving forward as our quarterback, that's something that he has to get better at quicker and faster."
Dan Wiederer: ‘All my (bleeping) life! I own you!’ With a win-sealing touchdown run — and one harsh insult — Aaron Rodgers adds to the Chicago Bears’ misery again
Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers celebrates with his teammates after rushing for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021 in Chicago. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers celebrates with his teammates after rushing for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021 in Chicago. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
