Big Ten: Packers-Bears Noteworthy Numbers

There are 14 teams in the Big Ten, so there are 14 numbers in our weekly statistical look at the game.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – There are 14 teams in the Big Ten, so there are 14 numbers in our weekly statistical look at the game.

Minus-6: The margin in 10-yard plays, with Chicago recording 14 to Green Bay’s eight. For the season, the Packers are 24th on offense with 11.9 per game. That’s the fewest of any of the 12 projected playoff teams. On defense, the Packers are 19th with 13.2 allowed per game. That’s the third-most of any of the 12 projected playoff teams.

0: Snaps of base defense played by the Packers. It was the same in the first game against Chicago.

1: Sack allowed by Green Bay. The Packers are 8-1 when Aaron Rodgers is sacked two times or less. “The cold’s a factor, for sure,” Rodgers said. “I think it’s a bigger factor on the defense though, as you saw with the pass rush. Our line did a really nice job blocking. I felt like I was getting the ball out reasonably well, but I’ve always felt like the surface and the cold is kind of a pass-rush equalizer. The footing, I don’t know what happened to the field today, but there were some solid concrete spots out there, which was a little different. I don’t know if they kept the tarp on there or didn’t heat it up or maybe it was so cold that it heated up and kind of froze back over, but I was stomping my feet there in the fourth quarter at the 50, I couldn’t believe it was like concrete.”

2: Sacks by defensive tackle Kenny Clark. For his career, he has eight sacks in December and 7.5 in the other months.

3: Green Bay won the turnover battle 3-0, though that was skewed a bit by an intercepted Hail Mary at the end of the first half and a fumble recovery to end the game. Nonetheless, the Packers are 9-0 when they win the turnover battle.

3.6: Despite lining up in nickel and dime packages on every snap, Green Bay allowed just 3.6 yards per carry. Its longest run allowed went for just 9 yards.

5: Punt returns by Tyler Ervin in two games. All five have gone for at least 10 yards. The team’s longest punt return in the first 12 games was for just 3 yards.

8: The Packers won by eight points. That’s their seventh victory in games decided by eight points or less. The top one-score teams: Seattle is 10-1, Green Bay and New Orleans are 7-1, and Baltimore is 5-1.

12: Average yards of field-position advantage in Green Bay’s favor. Its average starting point was the 38 compared to the 26 for Chicago. The failure to take advantage of that against the Bears and last week against the Redskins is among the frustrations for coach Matt LaFleur.

17: Touchdowns on the season by Aaron Jones, with two more on Sunday. Ahman Green set the franchise record with 20 touchdowns in 2003, Jim Taylor had 19 in 1962, Sterling Sharpe had 18 in 1994 and Jones tied Don Hutson’s 17 scores in 11 games in 1942.

48.5: Rodgers’ completion percentage on 16-of-33 passing. That was the fifth-lowest mark in 172 career starts.

203: Passing yards by Rodgers. He’s thrown for 205 yards or less five times this season, tied with 2015 for the most in his career.

265: While Rodgers hasn’t been his dominant self, he isn’t killing the team, either. He extended his interception-free streak to 265 attempts, the second-best of his career behind his 402-pass streak last season.

306: Passing yards Rodgers would have had if not for four drops. That figure includes all 70 yards of a potential touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling to open the game and point-of-catch drops (but no yards after catch) for two drops by Davante Adams and one by Geronimo Allison.