Click the following links to review each quarter and the Favre hafltime ceremony:
- 1st quarter | 2nd quarter | Favre ceremony | 3rd quarter | 4th quarter and postgame
Game Story
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Drenched from a soaking rain, Jay Cutler finally walked out of Lambeau Field with a win.
The defense helped make Thursday night a Thanksgiving to remember for the Chicago Bears.
Cutler threw for 200 yards and a score and the Bears held off the Green Bay Packers on fourth-and-goal from the 8 with 22 seconds left for a 17-13 victory.
"It was just really a good team effort defensively," coach John Fox said.
Aaron Rodgers' throw to the end zone deflected off receiver Davante Adams' hands in the cold rain. James Jones couldn't hang on to a potential touchdown catch on third down.
Cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted Rodgers' pass with 3:19 left at the Bears 45 on the previous drive.
In his first year in Chicago, Fox has instilled confidence in his team that they can hang tough in close games.
"We've been in a lot of games in the fourth quarter, we've won some and we've lost some," Cutler said. "But the thing of it is we've always been there, we've always had a shot."
Rodgers took a shot to the back of his left arm near the elbow in the third quarter from linebacker Lamarr Houston while the quarterback recovered a high snap. He said he lost feeling for a while in his left hand, gradually regaining full feeling in three fingers by the end of the game.
"It's my left hand, I'll be all right," said Rodgers, who was 22 of 43 for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Cutler was a little better, somewhat of a surprise given how poorly he has played at Lambeau in his career with the Bears.
In his four previous games at Lambeau, all losses, Cutler had thrown 12 interceptions. But with Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Cutler avoided throwing an interception.
Green Bay had won six of its previous seven at Lambeau in the series. And Thursday night seemed to set up perfectly for the Packers faithful on an emotional night with the team honoring former quarterback Brett Favre at halftime. His name and No. 4 joined the franchise's five other retired numbers on the north facade inside the stadium.
The Bears played spoilers.
"Looking at guys in that locker room that had been here for a minute and maybe not had great success here -- Jay included. It was fun to watch," Fox said.
Chicago (5-6) has won three of its last four. The Packers (7-4) lost a second straight home game.
"Difficult loss this evening, you need to win your home games," coach Mike McCarthy said.
The Packers caught a break after Cutler mishandled a shotgun snap on third-and-11 to set up a punt.
But McCarthy's offense couldn't capitalize, moving quickly up the field on their final two drives only to come up short.
Robbie Gould's 21-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for Chicago was the only scoring for either team in the second half in a game played dreary conditions.
It put ball security at a premium.
Eddie Lacy fumbled deep in Bears territory in the second quarter after getting hit from behind. Cutler cashed in on Chicago's next drive by finding Zach Miller for a 3-yard touchdown pass that tied it at 7 with 6:03 left in the half.
Adams dropped another pass in the open on third-and-long in the first quarter that could have led to a big gain.
"We didn't get it done tonight and really I think one of the biggest factors was handling the football," McCarthy said. "We had opportunities to catch the football, protect the football. ... They did a better job than we did."
Lacy ran for 105 yards on 17 carries, and also scored on a 25-yard catch-and-run.
For the Bears, Jeremy Langford had 48 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Matt Forte returned after missing three games with a knee injury and ran for 44 yards on 15 carries.
The Bears also got Alshon Jeffery back, who had seven catches for 90 yards. He has missed five games this season with groin and shoulder ailments.
The defense made the biggest statement.
"A huge win for this team," safety Chris Prosinski said. "This isn't an easy place to win so this is definitely one we're going to take into the next five weeks."
NOTES: Bears LB Shea McClellin finished with a game-high 10 tackles. ... Rookie CB Damarious Randall (knee) and RT Bryan Bulaga (ankle) left the game for the Packers. ... WR Randall Cobb finished with six catches for 74 yards.
4th quarter
Chicago 17, Green Bay 13
Gould 21 yd FG
3rd quarter
Favre ceremony
2nd quarter
Chicago 14, Green Bay 10
Langford 1 yd TD run
Green Bay 10, Chicago 7
Crosby 22 yd FG
Green Bay 7, Chicago 7
Cutler-Miller 3 yd TD pass
1st quarter
Green Bay 7, Chicago 0
Rodgers-Lacy 25 yd TD pass
Pregame coverage
Pregame story
Thanksgiving Night may bring the most anticipated regular season game in recent Green Bay Packers history, and it has nothing to do with a playoff race.
By itself, the renewal of the most tradition and excellence-filled rivalry in the NFL is a showcase event - the Green Bay Packers hosting the Chicago Bears.
However, the moments before the game and during halftime could go down as all-time great moments in Packers history, no matter what the outcome is of tonight's game.
Brett Favre is set to have his No. 4 become the 6th retired number in Green Bay Packers history. His name and number will go on the north facade of the historic stadium alongside Tony Canadeo, Don Hutson, Ray Nitschke, Reggie White and Bart Starr.
Oh, by the way - that last name you see above? After suffering two strokes and a heart attack which nearly cost him his life, Starr, who is 81, is set to appear in front of the 78,000-plus to share with Packers fans the same thing Favre will be sharing - a meaningful expression of "thank you" for being perhaps the greatest ambassador of class and dignity the Packers, or the NFL, has ever had.
Additionally, Aaron Rodgers is one touchdown pass away from 250 scoring throws. He would reach that mark in the fewest games in NFL history if he delivers the throw tonight.
Between Starr, Favre and Rodgers, that's seven NFL championships. Six MVP's. Three Super Bowl MVP's. All on one field. If it happens, it's a photo op for the ages.
Then, there's the game itself. The Packers will be playing in a much-needed contest for their NFC North hopes, as they own just a tiebreaker lead on the Minnesota Vikings after Sunday's win in Minneapolis.
Chicago, however, is a much different team than the one which Green Bay defeated in week one at Soldier Field. After three straight losses to start 2015, they have begun to figure things out and have gone 4-3 in their last seven games, with no loss by more than three points.
This will not be as easy of a win as experts might have predicted back in September. It will come, however, in the context of what should be one of the most memorable nights in Packers regular season history, win or lose.
One additional piece of motivation: With a win, the Packers tie the all-time series with the Bears at 93-93-6.
Stay tuned. Be thankful. And enjoy.
