CHICAGO -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the Green Bay Packers' 38-17 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field:
An easy day for Masthay: Other than his holding duties on extra points and field goals, Packers punter Tim Masthay was not needed. The Packers never had to punt. Neither did the Bears, making it just the second game in NFL regular-season history without a punt. The other was a 1992 game between the Bills and 49ers -- a fact that left Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers surprised. In fact, Rodgers overheard a conversation between reporters with Masthay and Packers kicker Mason Crosby, and was quite curious about it. "You don't go into a game thinking you're not going to punt -- or the other team isn't as well -- and you're going to win by 21," Rodgers said. "But we had a good plan, we were aggressive early and guys made a lot of plays."
Peppers' return: There was a smattering of boos for Julius Peppers in his first game back at Soldier Field as a member of the Packers, and he said he didn't care. Likewise, he said this game carried no extra emotion despite the fact that he played here for four years. But that's Peppers, who doesn't say much. Rodgers knew differently. "I think we all knew it meant something to him to come back," Rodgers said.
Near perfection: How much better could Rodgers have played on Sunday? When asked about his quarterback's 22-of-28 passing performance for 302 yards and four touchdowns, receiver Jordy Nelson joked: "Not very good. He missed six passes, so he needs to get better."
No injuries: The Packers did not announce any injuries after the game. Defensive end Josh Boyd left the game in the first half with a knee injury but returned.
