Thunder struck: Packers thump Bears before and after delay, win 35-14

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The deluge came.

And then it rained a lot, too.

Before the Bears could escape to the comfort of their locker room during a lightning storm at the end of the first quarter Thursday, Mike Glennon had fumbled twice and Aaron Rodgers had thrown for two touchdowns. The Bears spotted the Packers two touchdowns in the first six minutes.

When the Bears returned from a 48-minute lightning delay, it was clear the rain didn’t wash away their stink.

They lost 35-14, a margin that somehow failed to properly capture the particularly putrid stench of the game. The Packers reclaimed the all-time series lead, and, just four days after winning their first game of the season, the 1-3 Bears again appear in disarray.

“We played like garbage,” tight end Zach Miller said. “We know it.”

Glennon, perhaps playing for his quarterbacking life, dug the Bears in yet another hole. Down 7-0, he was sacked by Clay Matthews on the team’s first offensive play and fumbled. Jake Ryan recovered at the Bears’ 3-yard line, and Rodgers threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb three plays later.

Behind 14-0 later in the first quarter, Glennon made a more embarrassing mistake. He was in the shotgun and motioned to audible a play, but center Cody Whitehair snapped the ball off his shin. It caromed back across the line of scrimmage and was recovered by Packers linebacker Blake Martinez.

Two-thirds of the way into the second quarter, Glennon threw a pass too early to Markus Wheaton as he cut in the middle of the field. Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix picked it off. Rodgers threw a 58-yard pass to Jordy Nelson on the next play, third-string running back Aaron Jones plunged in from two yards and the route was on at 21-0.

The Packers entered the game without either starting tackle, and lost their top two running backs to injury in the first half. Still, their offense was dominant, as usual. Rodgers went 18-for-27 for 179 yards and four touchdowns.

“There’s no excuses or no explanations,” coach John Fox said. “It wasn’t good.”

Glennon was abysmal, completing 21-of-33 passes for 216 yards and one score, a five-yard pass to Kendall Wright before halftime. Now more than ever, his future as the Bears’ starting quarterback is in doubt. Rookie Mitch Trubisky lurks.

Boastful about their running game this week, the Bears couldn’t commit to it when behind. They averaged only 2.2 yards per carry on 14 runs in the first half. They ran throughout the fourth quarter, content to let the clock run out.

The Bears’ defense raged against the Packers’ field position advantage all night, but were responsible for its most horrific moment — a helmet-to-helmet Danny Trevathan hit that sent Davante Adams off the field on a stretcher and to the hospital with a head and neck injury. Trevathan could face suspension.

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Email: pfinley@suntimes.com

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