GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- If Green Bay's No. 1 goal on defense was to eliminate the threat of Bears receiver Brandon Marshall -- Mission accomplished.
After catching nine balls for 119 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets in the Bears' Week 1 win over the Colts, Marshall managed to haul in only two receptions for 24 yards on five targets Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
The outstanding play of Green Bay defensive backs Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson had a lot to do with Marshall's ineffectiveness as the Packers wisely avoided playing much press coverage but instead bracketed Marshall with two defenders. That strategy resulted in Green Bay picking off Jay Cutler four times (Williams (2), Woodson, Jerron McMillion) and limiting the Bears' top three wideouts (Marshall, Earl Bennett, Alshon Jeffery) to a combined four catches for 52 yards.
"They had a great game plan today," Marshall said. "It sucks, 16-0 is out the picture for us so we have to get out to practice and regroup.
"When you have two or three guys on you at one time it's very hard. I have to do a better job of doing other things, but again, I'm still excited about where we are at. It's definitely doesn't feel good to lose this game coming into Lambeau in this environment. But I think we still have a chance to do some special things."
Marshall did have an opportunity to swing momentum back in the Bears' favor during the opening drive of the third quarter but he failed to handle a Cutler deep ball in the corner of the end zone that would've cut Green Bay's lead to 13-7. Williams had fallen down on the play which left Marshall wide open, and although it wasn't an easy play to make by any means, it's still a ball the Pro Bowl wideout needs to come down with.
"We had a great matchup there, Jay threw it up and I wish I could've gotten my legs under me a little more but those are the plays that I'm supposed to make," Marshall said. "If I could do it over again I may have adjusted to the ball a little differently. We have to have that."