GREEN BAY, Wis. -- At this rate, Aaron Rodgers’ right arm might fall off, which would make him only slightly less banged up than the Green Bay Packers’ running backs.
But coach Mike McCarthy might not have much of a choice.
Without an experienced, natural running back at his disposal Thursday night against the Chicago Bears, McCarthy did the only thing a coach could have done: He put the ball -- and the game -- in his quarterback’s hands time after time.
And when Rodgers didn’t fumble it away again for another defensive touchdown by an opponent, he threw and threw and threw -- 56 times in the Packers’ 26-10 win over the Bears.
He set a franchise record with 39 completions and came up just five attempts shy of his career high.
"I think this is closer to how we’re going to have to play moving forward," Rodgers said.
At least until either James Starks (knee) can return in a few weeks or if Eddie Lacy (ankle) makes a late-season comeback after going on injured reserve, that is. Perhaps McCarthy can get Knile Davis up to speed, but Davis didn’t carry the ball until the final minutes of his first game since Tuesday’s trade from the Kansas City Chiefs. Rookie Don Jackson, promoted from the practice squad six hours before kickoff, lasted two carries (for 6 yards) before an injury to his left hand ended his night.
"It’s one game; it’s a one-game victory," McCarthy said. "And that’s really the reflection of how you plan for a season. You do what you have to do, you play how you have to play. We have the ability to run it as much as we need to, the ability to throw it as much as we need to. Obviously Eddie Lacy is a featured, primary player for our offense, so having both him and James not available, you shift gears. Don Jackson obviously was injured there early, it was unfortunate Knile Davis just got here two days ago, so we’ll work through that."
No one will accuse Rodgers of coming out of his early-season funk. This wasn’t that kind of performance. When Rodgers’ completed his franchise-record-setting 37th pass of the game on a 2-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with 5:35 left in the fourth quarter, he still hadn’t reached the 300-yard passing mark. In fact, he didn’t get to 300 until his 55th pass of the game, and it was the first time Rodgers has gone over that yardage milestone since last Nov. 15. He finished with 326.
Still, Rodgers got plenty of help from Ty Montgomery, the second-year receiver who played more snaps at running back than anyone else, Davante Adams and Cobb. Montgomery, in the most extensive role of his career, carried nine times for 60 yards and caught 10 passes for 66 yards. Adams caught 13 passes -- one short of Don Hutson’s franchise record -- for 132 yards and two touchdowns (his first multiple-touchdown game). Cobb caught 11 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
They became only the second trio of teammates with 10 catches apiece in a game in NFL history. The only other time it happened was on Nov. 13, 1994, by the Patriots against the Vikings in an overtime game that saw Leroy Thompson (11), Michael Timpson (10) and Ben Coates (10) do it, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In that game, Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe set an NFL record with 45 completions and 70 attempts.
At some point, Rodgers must get back to hitting Jordy Nelson down the field, but they didn’t need it against the Bears. Nelson had just one catch for 9 yards.
Only 10 of Rodgers’ 56 passes were thrown more than 10 yards downfield, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He was 5-of-10 for 91 yards on those throws; he entered with the league’s worst completion percentage on such passes.
Rodgers also is going to have to stop fumbling. He lost one in the third quarter that the Bears returned for a touchdown. It was Rodgers’ fourth fumble returned for a touchdown since Week 16 of last season. He had only one in his career before that, and it came in his rookie season (2005).
For now, however, Rodgers did what needed to be done, even if he didn’t quiet the critics. He got the Packers (4-2) through a short-week game and now they have a nine days before their next one at Atlanta. At least Rodgers’ right arm should be rested by then.