Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers came into Week 1 against the Chicago Bears as underdogs. After the Bears won the division last year and a ton of hype surrounding them coming into this season, the Packers were looking to make a point with new head coach Matt LaFleur making his regular season debut.

When everything was said and done at Soldier Field, the Packers came away with a hard-fought 10-3 win.

Both teams struggled offensively all game long. LaFleur and the Packers actually were in negative yardage at the end of the first quarter. Mitchell Trubisky was never able to get things going either.

It was an ugly game, but the Packers have to be feeling good about coming away with the win. Beating the Bears on the road in the first game of a new era of football for the Packers is a huge step in the right direction. Now, the team has to focus on improving offensively and getting some chemistry going.

All of that being said, here are three immediate reactions for the Packers following their huge rivalry win.

3. Preseason Absolutely Matters

One of the biggest storylines entering this game was the fact that LaFleur and the Packers held out the majority of their starters for the preseason. Rodgers didn't take a single snap in the four preseason contests and it showed.

Matt LaFleur

Right off the bat, Rodgers and the Green Bay offense struggled and looked completely out of sync. There were some great flashes at times, but for the most part the team did not look like they were comfortable together. Obviously, preseason games still matter despite teams not wanting to risk injuries in meaningless games.

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2. Matt LaFleur Must Get The Running Game Going

Secondly, the Packers were not able to get anything going on the ground at all. Aaron Jones was the team's leading rusher with 39 yards on 13 carries. As a team, they recorded just 47 yards on 22 carries, which is good for just 2.1 yards per carry.

Jones came into this game expected to be a workhorse running back for the Packers. Surprisingly, Jamaal Williams ended up playing a bigger role in Week 1. Chicago has a great defense, but the Packers have to figure out how to get their ground game going moving forward.

Za'Darius Smith

1. The Defense Has the Potential To Be Great

Finally, Mike Pettine and the Packers defense has to be feeling really good right now. They held the Bears to 208 passing yards and 46 rushing yards. Adrian Amos also came through with a massive late-game interception against his former teammate that helped seal the win.

Green Bay went out and spent big money on their pass rush this offseason, signing Preston and Za'Darius Smith to big contracts in free agency. Preston Smith had 1.5 sacks and five tackles with a defended pass, while Za'Darius Smith ended up with 1.5 sacks, three tackles, and three quarterback hits. The Packers have not had a high-profile defense for quite some time, but it looks like that could be changing this season.