There is no team with whom the Packers have a deeper, longer, and richer history than the Chicago Bears. The Packers have been playing the Bears for more than a century, and in that time there have been some truly outstanding performances. Here’s a look at a few of them, dating to
Most passing yards – 402 (Brett Favre, 1993)
Here’s an odd but true fact to start off: Brett Favre only passed for 400 yards once as a member of the Packers. Even in his epic Monday Night Football performance after the death of his father he only threw for 399 yards. His lone 400-yard effort in Green Bay came in a 1993 loss to the Bears. He completed 36 of 54 attempts to pile up that yardage total, throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions in the process. putting up 402 yards in a 1993 loss to the Bears.
Most passing touchdowns – 6 (Aaron Rodgers, 2014)
Normally I don’t spend too much time noting touchdown totals, but we’ll make an exception here. In a 2014 evisceration of the Bears, Aaron Rodgers tossed six touchdown passes — in the first half. He got two drives to try to get a seventh in the third quarter, but didn’t, giving way to Matt Flynn for the rest of the evening. Somehow, the Packers managed to hang on and eke out a 55-14 win.
Most rushing yards – 176 (Ahman Green, 2003)
Ahman Green had plenty of memorable games in his 2003 campaign, but his 176 yards against the Bears represents one of his better efforts. He needed just 19 carries to reach that figure, ripping off 9.3 yards per attempt and scoring two touchdowns in the process. Powered by his effort and a good day from Brett Favre, the Packers cruised to a 38-23 victory.
Most receiving yards – 182 (Boyd Dowler, 1968)
There wasn’t much that went right for the Packers in Vince Lombardi’s only year serving solely as the team’s general manager — but at least they finished the season with a win over the Bears.
Under head coach Phil Bengston, the Packers limped into the final week of the season with a 5-7-1 record, assured of their first losing season since 1958. The Packers’ passing attack saved them from an eighth loss. Don Horn and Zeke Bratkowski combined for 259 passing yards, 182 of which went to Boyd Dowler in the second-best performance of his career. The Packers won 28-27.
Most points scored – 24 (Jim Taylor, 1962)
Jim Taylor ran roughshod over the entire NFL during his 1962 MVP season, but he caught the Bears during an especially dominant stretch of the season. In Weeks 5 and 6 of that season, Taylor piled up a combined 324 yards on just 34 carries before getting a bit of a breather in Week 7, when he carried just 16 times for 68 yards. He roared back in Week 8 against the Bears, pounding out 124 yards on 25 carries and hammering four touchdowns into the end zone in a 38-7 win over the Bears. For good measure, he’d score another four touchdowns the next week on his way to a league-leading total of 19 that season.
Most sacks – 4 (Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, 2004)
The Packers weren’t great in 2004, but the Bears were barely a football team that year. The Packers’ Week 17 domination was less a real contest and more an execution of a bad team by an okay team. The Packers were up 28-7 at halftime and put it on cruise control from there, letting their defense feast on the hapless Bears en route to a 31-14 victory.
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila was happy to help, pitching in four sacks on the day, including two on the Bears’ final drive. KGB had a history of big days against the Bears, having previously taken an interception 72 yards for a touchdown in a 2002 win.
Most tackles – 12 (Morgan Burnett, 2014)
I’ve never really thought of Morgan Burnett as a big volume tackler, but he was for at least one game. In the same matchup where Aaron Rodgers threw his six touchdowns, Burnett was all over the field on defense, piling up a career-best 12 tackles as the Packers’ defense shut down Chicago.
Most interceptions – 2 (25 times by 21 players)
The Packers have a long and rich history of intercepting Bears’ passes. 25 times in the history of this rivalry a Packers player has recorded two interceptions. Nobody’s gotten to three yet (though maybe Caleb Williams will be in a giving mood this week?), but there have still been some neat and noteworthy moments among the many two-interception games.
Bobby Dillon, the one-eyed wonder, should get a nod for having three two-interception games against the Bears, but I think Mike McKenzie’s two-pick game in 2003 takes the cake. With the Packers up just 19-14 in the fourth quarter, the Bears pushed deep into Green Bay territory — only for McKenzie to nab an interception at the 10-yard line and take it all the way back for a 90-yard touchdown. After the two-point conversion, the Packers were up 27-14, and ultimately won 34-21.