‘We trust The Plan’: Bears put faith in Fangio vs. Aaron Rodgers

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Officials signal a touchdown after Bears rookie linebacker Leonard Floyd sacked Aaron Rodgers, forced a fumble and recovered it in the end zone to give the Bears a 7-6 lead over the Packers early in the third quarter at Lambeau Field on Oct. 20. The Packers rallied to win, 26-10. (Matt Ludtke/AP)

Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is good, but nobody really has Aaron Rodgers’ number.

“He drives defensive coordinators crazy,” Bears coach John Fox said.

Still, Fangio has had more success than most against the great Rodgers, the Packers’ two-time MVP quarterback. In seven games against Fangio defenses, Rodgers has a 96.1 rating (12 touchdowns, three interceptions) — below his regular-season (103.8) or post-season (98.2) career average six times. And while those still are impressive numbers, Fangio defenses have prevented Rodgers from running away with games most of the time — a big reason why Rodgers is 2-5 against Fangio teams, including playoff losses against the 49ers after the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

“The biggest thing is the rush lanes with the quarterback,” Bears linebacker Sam Acho said. “He talks about rushing as a unit. Don’t be an individual and do your own thing. Rush as a group, because that quarterback is special.”

The Bears’ first game against the Packers at Lambeau Field was a perfect illustration of just how difficult a task it is, even when you have a good game plan and execute it. Through the first series of the third quarter — after rookie linebacker Leonard Floyd’s strip-sack and fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown — the Bears held the Packers to 101 yards on 30 plays (3.4 avg.) and Rodgers had a 71.1 passer rating. Fangio’s defense was outscoring the Packers 7-6.

But Rodgers responded with a touchdown drive and wore down Fangio’s defense. After Floyd’s touchdown, the Packers gained 305 yards on 51 plays (6.0 avg.). Rodgers threw three touchdown passes and had a 136.8 passer rating. His rating for the game was 102.2 — only the second time Rodgers has been over 100 vs. a Fangio defense.

“You’ve just got to keep playing against these guys,” Fangio said. “He’s so good and so confident and he’s played in one system his entire career. He knows and they know as coaches how to adjust. They’ll either just keep sawing wood at what they’ve been trying and do it a little better or go to another part of their playbook.”

It’s a challenge for Fangio, but a challenge for Rogers, too.

“Very disciplined defense,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “Vic has always done a good job of taking away the things that you do very well. You have to really hunker in on your fundamentals [because] they really are coached coming into the game.”

The challenge figures to be even greater this time. Rodgers, who had a mortal 93.9 passer rating in his first nine games, has a 121.1 rating in his last four — 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. He did not practice Wednesday because of a calf injury but is expected to play Sunday, when the Bears (3-10) face the Packers (7-6) at Soldier Field.

But having Fangio on their side at least gives the Bears a fighting chance.

“We’re excited about he plan. We trust the plan,” Acho said. “We know it’s going to work.”

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