Green Bay Packers fans are confident going into opening day. They should be. Their team hasn’t lost to the Chicago Bears since 2018. You can count the number of times they’ve lost to the Bears on one hand since 2008. They can’t wait to once again chant, “The Bears still suck.” However, the level of certainty isn’t there anymore. That is because their ace-in-the-hole is gone. Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets this off-season, ending one of the greatest quarterback runs in NFL history. Now the job falls to Jordan Love.
The former 1st round pick has spent the last three years getting ready. Green Bay remains confident he can be the guy. Many in the media think it’s a foregone conclusion. He will carry on the legacy of owning the Bears. Of course, nothing in this sport is guaranteed. Chicago has overhauled their roster a lot since last season. They’re notably stronger on defense. While Love is talented, a look at his stats indicates there is a way to beat him. Below is a breakdown of his stats between regular drop-back passes and passes off play action in preseason and regular season.
- Regular passing: 99-of-166 for 998 yards, 7 TDs, 7 INTs
- Play action passing: 37-of-59 for 509 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
While the evidence is limited, it’s pretty clear Love is far more comfortable off play fakes. That is why you can expect Green Bay to lean on their ground attack in Week 1. They have every reason to. Chicago hasn’t held them under 100 yards since January 3rd, 2021. Three of the last four games saw them eclipse 150 yards on the ground.
Jordan Love isn’t ready to be that gunslinger yet.
Of course, the Bears do have a history of making it seem that way with quarterbacks from time to time. See Mike White in New York last year. Still, this defense should be much more formidable. DeMarcus Walker and Andrew Billings will help their run defense up front. That, in turn, will allow new linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards to corral Green Bay’s ball carriers. If they can get Love into some 3rd and long situations, Yannick Ngakoue and the pass rush can make him uncomfortable enough to make mistakes.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
It is a lot to ask. Green Bay is still a good team. They have several talented players on that roster, especially in the trenches. It will take a 60-minute effort from the Bears to ensure a victory. Jordan Love is under a ton of pressure to perform. Nothing would feel better than ruining his coronation with a win at home while making him look mortal. Accomplishing this task centers around stopping the run. If they can take away the play action, their chances of success will spike significantly.
Then it will fall to Justin Fields and the offense to do the rest.
