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In an early hole in just the second week of the season, the Green Bay Packers toughened up and dominated the Chicago Bears for a 23-10 home win on Thursday Night. For once, it was the Packers defense that led the way, intercepting Chicago’s Jay Cutler four times and allowing just 126 passing yards. Cutler talked pretty big in the days prior to the game, but did virtually nothing to back it up.

Did Cutler’s trash talking inspire Green Bay’s defense?  Packers safety Charles Woodson, who had one of Cutler’s four picks, wouldn’t go that far. “I don’t know if we took it personal,” said the defensive back. “But we thought it was kind of funny, that all of a sudden they were the team to beat because they got a couple of new guys. They had no answers up front.”

In eight games against the Packers including the NFC Championship Game two seasons ago, Cutler has thrown 16 interceptions and just eight touchdown passes, with a passer rating of 58.9. Bears coach Lovie Smith said Cutler’s play was just one of many problems for his offense. “We didn’t have good enough protection, probably made a couple of bad decisions, receivers didn’t get open as much as we needed to,” explained Lovie. “We didn’t get the running game going to help the passing game. All of those things didn’t work.”

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 22 of 32 throws for 219 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver in the fourth quarter.  Not a spectacular night by Rodgers standards, but the quarterback was quite to credit his defense after the game. “Our defense took a lot of trash in the media this week,” said Rodgers. “They played incredible. The defense … if they play like that, we’re going to be tough to beat.”