The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sunday was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era for the Chicago Bears, but it looked eerily similar to the old one. The purveyor of this all too familiar brand of pain was none other than the Green Bay Packers.

Only this time, it was Jordan Love who got to dish it out, not Aaron Rodgers. The team's new starting quarterback appeared completely unfazed by his new responsibilities and the constant speculation that comes with it. He completed 15-of-27 passes for an efficient 245 yards and three touchdowns to lead Green Bay to the 38-20 victory in Soldier Field.

Sure, a dominant defensive effort definitely took some of the pressure off (four sacks and a pick-six by Quay Walker), but Love was no mere game manager. He made winning plays befitting of someone tasked with being a long-term franchise QB. And while there is a ways to go before that will be fully sorted out, this was a pivotal first step.

The 2020 first-round draft pick was grateful to finally showcase his talents after serving as Rodgers' successor-in-waiting. “It's definitely been a long time coming for me, three years as a backup,” Love said, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. “Just watching, learning and growing, seeing this team work, it feels good to be out there leading those guys and be out there playing with them finally and coming out with a dub is just what we wanted.”

They say patience is a virtue. The 24-year-old could be a much more well-equipped leader after working behind a future Hall of Famer. That model produced great results for the Packers before and already has them on the winning path in 2023. A win versus the Bears does not exactly ensure Super Bowl success, but it will sway some doubters.

For Jordan Love, the self-belief did not waver heading into the season opener. “I kept telling myself, ‘I'm going to play great, we're all going to play great,'” he said. The prognosticator and his team look to keep the good times rolling when they visit the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.