Slowed by a sore knee Cody Whitehair Jersey , Aaron Rodgers picked up the pace behind center.Remarkably, the two-time NFL MVP was more effective against the Chicago Bears after returning from what initially looked like a serious injury.The hobbling quarterback threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter after returning from injury, and the Green Bay Packers overcame a 20-point deficit for a thrilling 24-23 win over the Bears on Sunday night.Rodgers connected with receiver Randall Cobb for a catch-and-run through the secondary for a 75-yard touchdown and the go-ahead score with 2:13 left in the game.“You’ve seen it time and time again. That guy’s a warrior,” Cobb said.Rodgers was hurt in the second quarter after slipping to the turf while under pressure from linebacker Khalil Mack and defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris. The lineman landed on Rodgers, who grabbed the back of his left leg. He had ACL surgery on his left knee in college.Rodgers was carted back to the locker room. Doctors determined he did not suffer a major injury and cleared him to return in the second half.The Packers had to make a slight adjustment with their normally mobile quarterback limited to the pocket.“Got to get the ball out. Can’t be moving around a whole lot back there,” Rodgers said. “And we did a good job mixing things up in the second half with some of our quicker-hitter stuff and actually some of our more vertical stuff, too.”Rodgers also had touchdown passes to Geronimo Allison (39 yards) and Davante Adams (12 yards) in completing the rally from a 20-0 deficit with 9:14 to go in the third quarter.Rodgers finished 20 of 30 for 286 yards, including 17 of 23 for 273 yards in the second half.“Obviously, that’s a tough one for us. It stings,” coach Matt Nagy said after his Bears debut.MACK ATTACK: A Chicago defense featuring newly acquired star linebacker Khalil Mack dominated until the third quarter. Mack had a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown against backup quarterback DeShone Kizer in the second. He had a strip-sack that led to another turnover. He had pressure in the backfield on a play in which Rodgers hurt his left knee.This from a player who missed the entire preseason. The Bears acquired Mack last week in a trade with the Oakland Raiders.“I prepared all offseason for the first game of the season and I wanted to … make an impact,” Mack said. “But you want to win these games. That’s the only thing on my mind. I hate losing.”FAST START: An offensive-minded coach, Nagy had the aggressive Bears’ offense pushing the Packers around the field in the first half. Mitchell Trubisky was 23 of 35 for 171 yards. He also ran for 32 yards on seven carries, including a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. It turned out to be the only offensive touchdown the Bears would score all night. The Packers’ defense, in new coordinator Mike Pettine’s first game, held the Bears to two field goals in the second half.“You know we talked about finishing and we didn’t do that,” Nagy said.COMEBACK COMPLETE: Nick Perry sacked the Bears’ Mitchell Trubisky on fourth-and-10 with 58 seconds to complete the comeback. It was memorable start to the Packers’ 100th season. Sunday marked the first time in franchise history that the Packers won after trailing by 17-plus points entering the fourth quarter http://www.thebearslockerroom.com/authentic-jonathan-bullard-jersey , according to the Elias Sports Bureau.MORE RODGERS: Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he was prepared to go with Kizer to start the second half until getting the word from the team doctor in the tunnel.“His performance speaks for itself,” McCarthy said.Rodgers said he knee was swollen after the game. The Packers plan to run more tests on their QB on Monday, though Rodgers seems very optimistic to about his availability for next week’s game against Minnesota.“No, I’m planning on playing,” Rodgers said.OTHER DEBUTS: Chicago’s Allen Robinson had four catches for 61 yards on seven targets in his debut as the Bears’ top receiver. … TE Jimmy Graham had two catches for eight yards on four targets after joining the Packers as a free agent in the offseason from the Seattle Seahawks. For the first time in years, the Bears’ fingerprints could be seen all over Day 1 of the draft."In the last three decades, the Vikings have taken three interior linemen in the first two rounds of the draft. One of those players was Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel in 1988. The others were the short-lived careers of Marcus Johnson and Ryan Cook. Who? Exactly. In recent years — with head coach Mike Zimmer in the fold — the Vikings have tailored their early draft philosophy around rebuilding their secondary with cornerbacks like Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, and Mike Hughes. That’s because all Minnesota has had to primarily worry about was defending an explosive Packers passing game led by Aaron Rodgers — the team they’ve most often butted heads with for divisional supremacy. After Green Bay has fallen off following two consecutive missed postseasons, Minnesota approached the first round of the 2019 draft in a different manner. This time, they were gunning for the lead dog Bears. As the first first-round interior lineman the Vikings have drafted since McDaniel, NC State’s Garrett Bradbury was picked mostly in mind to combat the galvanizing Chicago trio of Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, and Bilal Nichols. Three bullies up front who set the tone for the best part of the Bears defense, and destroy the worst part of the Vikings offense. In two games against Minnesota last season, Hicks alone had nine tackles Womens Akiem Hicks Jersey , 7.5 tackles-for-loss, four quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks. Nichols had four tackles, three quarterback hits, and one sack. Goldman had three tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one quarterback hit, and one sack. When you talk about stuffing the shat sheet with stars and depth, the Bears had it in spades against everyone, but especially the Vikings. They not only took control of the interior, they owned it. It was as if Hicks and company told Minnesota about lucrative and exclusive timeshare opportunities through two separate grueling three-hour presentations on the field. All the Vikings wanted to do was get to the pool and beach and relax, but they couldn’t. These were timeshares designed to only take advantage of the Vikings.Collectively, the prowess of the Bears’ defensive interior was on display throughout the entire year. According to Football Outsiders, the Bears allowed the third-least amount of rushing yards up the middle and were second only to the Lions in allowing the least amount of successful attempts up the middle at 46.2 percent. The Vikings meanwhile were the 26th-least successful rushing team behind their center or either guard, garnering a mere 4.11 adjusted line yards when electing to ground-and-pound. Where the Bears were at their best, Minnesota was at its worst. Beyond the foibles of Kirk Cousins Bobby Massie Jersey , Chicago’s interior dominance over the Vikings was the biggest reason they snatched away the divisional crown. Bradbury, while a solid prospect who should have a good career, faces a tall order to quickly shift Minnesota’s fortune against the Bears’ main defensive strength. The Vikings, in making such a grand investment in his future to beat Chicago, expect nothing less. Green Bay Packers: No. 21 overall, Darnell Savage, SA copycat league foreverEveryone wants their own Eddie Jackson. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsThanks to fancy draft finagling on their part, the Packers started Thursday night with multiple first-round picks. As a franchise that considers itself to be a part of the NFL’s gold standard, they also had a plan of emulating the Bears they’d stick to at all costs. One of the best aspects of the Bears is another 2018 first-team All-Pro in Eddie Jackson. To this stage in his career, he’s on pace to potentially be the best playmaking safety the Bears have ever had. The 26-year-old is a modern reincarnation of the feared Ed Reed. If that sounds ludicrous, ask the first-ballot Hall of Famer in Reed about the valid comparison. Naturally, when you have such a talented player like Jackson at your disposal, your closest competitors are going to find a way to copy your success if they can. In a cliche copycat league, everyone wants the “next Eddie Jackson”. Green Bay already signed former Bears safety and all-out thumper Adrian Amos to an expensive deal in March’s free agency. But they still needed a ballhawk with coverage range and instinct like Jackson beside him. Savage, while a reach at No. 21 overall, fits the Packers’ bill to a tee. Over the last two years http://www.thebearslockerroom.com/authentic-jordan-howard-jersey , Jackson and Amos formed quite the complementary pair. Amos, the hybrid in-the-box safety. Jackson, the rangy closer covering for everyone else’s mistakes even when they didn’t ask. By nabbing Savage — and trading up for him to boot — the Packers want to copy the template of the 2017-2018 Bears. Amos is still the thumper, but now Savage is the rangy closer. General manager Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay front office don’t make this pick if they aren’t envisioning what the Bears have built over the past couple of seasons. For one, if Amos was really a complete all-around coverage player, Savage isn’t a Packer right now. But then again, the Packers never considered his faults in such a manner. They signed Amos with an idea in mind that they were always going to find his more nimble ballhawk and Jackson-like friend in the draft. The Packers following the Bears’ lead. After over a quarter century of a tilted rivalry ... what a world. Future ramificationsFor once, everyone else in the NFC North wanted to be like the Bears and they didn’t hide it. For once, the Bears had a direct influence on how their competitors approached the most important acquisition day of the year, and they didn’t have to do anything but exist. For once, the Bears learned it’s good to be the king. Robert is the Editor-in-chief of The Blitz Network, the managing editor of Windy City Gridiron, and the Bears beat writer for The Rock River Times. Follow him on Twitter @RobertZeglinski.