Chicago Bears: 3 things we learned in Week 12

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers honored Brett Favre on Thursday, but Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears' defense ruined the celebration.

Cutler, who was 1-11 against the Packers as Chicago's quarterback, led the Bears to a big upset of first-place Green Bay, 17-13 at rainy Lambeau Field.

At halftime, the Packers unveiled Favre's name beneath the north end-zone scoreboard alongside the other five players whose numbers were retired. Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, who has battled severe health issues, also appeared to a thunderous ovation.

However, for the first time in 13 games against the Packers as the Bears' quarterback, Cutler did not throw an interception.

"It's huge," Cutler said. "It's been a fun week for me. The Sunday game, and having a baby on Monday and turning around and playing on Thursday, I think that everyone is looking forward to going home and spending some time with family."

Chicago's defense had two takeaways, and they were both huge. The first set up a first-half touchdown. The second came with 3:19 remaining in the game.

With the Packers trailing 17-13 and having reached midfield, Rodgers fired a slant to Davante Adams. The wide receiver, however, was knocked off his route by safety Chris Prosinski, and cornerback Tracy Porter grabbed the interception.

"It was a slant route and I threw it on time, and (Adams) ran into the safety that was coming down to get (tight end) Richard (Rodgers)," Aaron Rodgers said. "So it was a gift interception there for Porter."

Green Bay (7-4) got one more chance, taking over at its 20-yard line with 2:45 remaining. However, the drive ended with a fourth-down incompletion from the Chicago 8-yard line.

What we learned about the Bears:

1. The Bears might be able to make a move in the NFC North. They won three of their past four games to surge to 5-6. With a schedule that features San Francisco and Washington at home, Minnesota and Tampa Bay on the road and Detroit at home, the Bears have a realistic shot of winning four of their last five. "I think it wasn't so much about who we were playing or where we were playing. It was more about us," first-year Bears coach John Fox said. "I think, even though we've lost some close games, I think we've gained some confidence in those experiences, and now it was finally nice to be able to convert one of those close contests against a very worthy opponent."

2. The Bears' defense is legit. In the last four games, Chicago hasn't allowed more than 19 points. The Bears limited Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to 202 passing yards and held wide receivers Davante Adams and James Jones to a combined two catches for 14 yards in 17 targets. "For me, he's a genius," safety Chris Prosinski said of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. "He is the first coordinator that I've had that I can really understand as far as what he is trying to do with the game plan. A lot of credit goes to him."

3. With the return of Alshon Jeffery, Chicago's receivers completely outplayed Green Bay's wideouts. Jeffery caught seven passes for 90 yards. Marquess Wilson caught four for 44, and Marc Mariani caught three for 35. They did most of their work on short passes that they turned into big gains. "You look at a Marc Mariani, I mean, he's a guy who just stepped in and made big catches, big plays on third down," Fox said. "Jay (Cutler) does a good job of buying time to let guys come free. Getting Alshon back was big."

Etc.

--QB Jay Cutler enjoyed a great week. On Monday, his wife gave birth to their third child. On Thursday, he won for the first time in five trips to Lambeau Field. Last year, he threw two interceptions in the Bears' 55-14 loss at Green Bay. This time, he finished 19-for-31 for 200 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions. "I don't even remember the last time that we left this stadium, honestly," Cutler said. "So much has changed, so much is new, and I really enjoy these guys in the locker room and the coaching staff. I think you look across that locker room and you see a lot of guys playing for each other, which is fun."

--RB Matt Forte, who missed the previous three games with a knee injury, carried 15 times for 44 yards, a 2.9-yard average, with a long gain of 7. Meanwhile, rookie RB Jeremy Langford carried 12 times for 48 yards, a 4-yard average, with a long of 14 and a touchdown.

--The Bears' defensive backs turned in a big night, headlined by CB Tracy Porter's fourth-quarter interception that killed a late Packers drive. "The front seven did a good job of putting pressure on (Packers QB Aaron Rodgers)," Porter said. "I read the route that he was trying to make. They were trying to make a quick throw, and I just beat (the receiver) to the spot." Then, in the final moments, Porter broke up a third-and-goal pass in the end zone. He finished the game with one tackle and four passes defensed -- a terrific ratio for a cornerback.