It’s Costly Victory For Green Bay Two Starters Go Out With Injuries As Packers Defeat Bears 38-24

The Super Bowl champions aren’t immune to the NFL’s rash of injuries.

Even while the Green Bay Packers were beating the Chicago Bears 38-24 in their season opener Monday night, they lost two more starters to knee injuries - cornerback Craig Newsome, who will be out for the season, and tight end Mark Chmura, expected to be out 4-6 weeks.

They join Edgar Bennett, the starting running back, already gone for the season with a knee injury.

“I’m not happy about the injuries,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “But hey, we won 38-24 and I’ll take it. There are a lot of expectations. I don’t want to go 15-2 and have no fun, like we did one year in San Francisco. You want to win and have fun, too.”

“It makes it less enjoyable,” said quarterback Brett Favre, who threw two touchdown passes as the Packers woke up after a sluggish start that lasted almost a half. “Those are two key guys.”

Still, the Packers have a way of finding contributors from nowhere - this night it was Bill Schroeder and Ryan Longwell, two obscure newcomers who helped the Packers stay in the game in the first half.

Schroeder, a brash kick returner, who spent the summer with the World League’s Rhein Fire, more than replaced departed Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard with punt returns of 46, 22 and 47 yards.

They set up three field goals by Longwell, a walk-on, who made the team only because Brett Conway, drafted in the third round to replace Chris Jacke, was ineffective in the first exhibition game, then got hurt.

“We weren’t doing much tonight and Billy gave the fans something to cheer about,” said receiver Antonio Freeman, a former kick returner.

“It’s real fun when special teams contribute a lot,” Longwell said.

Favre, 15 for 22 for 226 yards, had TD passes of 1 yard to Jeff Thomason, Chmura’s replacement, and 18 to Robert Brooks, who made an impressive debut after missing the second half of last season with a knee injury.Bryan Cox, Chicago’s temperamental linebacker, was penalized 45 yards within a minute for unnecessary roughness, then a penalty for removing his helmet after a score and another for throwing it.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: OF NOTE The Packers have won 19 consecutive games at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.