Packers tied for first after Chicago loses

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GREEN BAY - For the first time this season, the Green Bay Packers are at the top of the NFC North Division.

The Packers moved into a first-place tie with Chicago at 7-3, after the Bears got crushed at San Francisco 32-7 on Monday Night. Minnesota is one game back in third place at 6-4. The Lions are last in the division at 4-6, after losing to the Pack last Sunday in Detroit.

The 49’ers used a smothering defense on the Bears, similar to the way the Niners shut down the Packers on Opening Day. Jason Campbell threw for only 107 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions in place of injured Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. He and San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith were both out with concussions from the week before. Colin Kaepernick threw for two touchdowns in his first career start, and the Niners scored on their first four possessions to improve to 7-2-1. Chicago has now lost two straight.

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The Packers re-tooled their defense after their 37-20 playoff loss to the New York Giants back in January. Now, the Packers will get a chance to see how much it paid off, when they face the Giants again on Sunday night in East Rutherford New Jersey. So far, Green Bay has shown signs of improvement from a year ago, when it had the NFL’s worst defense. This season, the Pack has the league’s 10th best scoring defense – and they’re tied for second in sacks and sixth in interceptions. In April, general manager Ted Thompson used his top six draft picks on defense – and those rookies have made some big contributions. Corner Casey Hayward leads the team with five interceptions, including one last Sunday at Detroit. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers said he had six rookies on the field at one point against the Lions – and they made some key plays, especially early. The Packers take a 7-3 record into Met-Life Stadium, when they face a Giants’ team that’s 6-4 and coming off a bye week.

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