Favre, Freeman Cut Down the Bears

The NFL’s longest-running rivalry, dating from 1921, has become decidedly one-sided.

That’s because Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers have taken over and dominated the Chicago Bears the last three years.

“I don’t know what it is. It just seems like every time we’ve played them, we’ve played really well,” Favre said Sunday after throwing four touchdown passes as the Packers scored their most lopsided victory ever at Soldier Field, beating the Bears, 37-6.

“We just call our plays and we throw to whoever is open,” said Favre, who has 20 touchdown passes this season.

The victory was the Packers’ fifth in a row over the Bears and the seventh in the last nine games between the teams.

Antonio Freeman came down with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Favre on the final play of the first half, jumping with three Bear defenders and two teammates to make the grab.

Later in the third quarter, he made a fully extended catch over Chicago defender Kevin Miniefield for a 35-yard score.

But his catch at the end of the half was the pivotal play of the game.

“There’s not much to say. You just throw it up and hope somebody catches it, and Antonio did,” said Favre, 18 for 27 for 246 yards.

“The ball happened to drop in the right place and I happened to be there,” said Freeman, who had seven catches for 146 yards.

“It’s a play we practice. Everybody says, ‘It’s not going to work, it’ll never work.’ But we practice it. Brett threw a good ball and I jumped up and caught it. It swung the momentum. I knew I had the opportunity to catch the ball. And I made some space for myself.”

Mark Carrier, one of three defenders trying to stop the pass, said he was knocked down on the play.

“I was going up and I got hit and I don’t know what happened after that,” Carrier said. “We weren’t in a ‘Hail Mary’ defense. We thought they were getting into position to kick a field goal.”

Green Bay receiver Don Beebe returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.

The Packers (5-1) are off to their best start since their 6-1 start in 1978. The Bears (2-4) continue to struggle.

The Bears’ poor performance prompted a 10-minute tirade from linebacker Bryan Cox, who after Freeman’s catch right before the half stood without his helmet in the end zone during the extra point attempt, a symbol of frustration.

“When you get into a pile like that, it’s whoever comes away with it,” Cox said. “You just want to knock the ball down. The chances of you catching the ball and running 102 yards for a touchdown are very slim.”

Chris Jacke missed the extra point, his first miss in 88 attempts, but Green Bay had a 20-3 lead.

Chicago got a 41-yard field goal from Jeff Jaeger in the third quarter, but Beebe put the Packers back in control, taking the kickoff on the right side and then breaking left at the 40 and outrunning two Bears to the end zone.

“That’s why I like to return kicks. They had just scored and then you get the momentum right back,” Beebe said.

Seven minutes later, Favre passed to Freeman for the 35-yarder, and it was 34-6.

Favre also threw touchdown passes of 18 yards to Robert Brooks and two yards to Keith Jackson. Jackson’s score came with 35 seconds left in the first half.

That play capped a 53-yard drive in only a minute and a half, with Favre connecting with Freeman three times for 42 yards.

“Antonio was spectacular, just spectacular,” Packer Coach Mike Holmgren said. “We had our normal ritual in the first half where I had to jump him for something and then all of a sudden he gets mad at me and starts playing.”

The Bears’ only first-half points came on Jaeger’s 40-yard field goal that was set up by a fourth-down pass from punter Todd Sauerbrun to Bobby Engram.