The Chicago Bears have met the Green Bay Packers in primetime once a year for almost two decades now. Some of the games have been close. Others have not. All of the latter involved the Bears getting humiliated. Last season was no exception as Aaron Rodgers and company scorched them 45-30. It is easy to understand why Packers fans have no fear of the Bears. Why should they? Their team has dominated the rivalry for the past decade.
Maybe this time will be different. The Bears are riding high on a massive upset of the San Francisco 49ers. Their new coaching staff, led by Matt Eberflus, appears competent. Players are making fewer mistakes and playing with much greater intensity than at almost any time during the Matt Nagy era. Maybe that can carry the team over their bitter rivals in what could be an important game. Remember, if the Packers were to lose, they’d already be 0-2 in the division.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers breakdown
Backstory:
Everybody knows the reality. It’s been this way for over a decade. The Bears go into Lambeau Field against Aaron Rodgers with expectations from everybody that they’ll lose. That is the byproduct of only beating the guy three times in games he started and finished since 2010. That “own you” comment wasn’t spoken by accident. Rodgers had every reason to say it because it’s true. Will Sunday change that perception?
Plenty of people aren’t optimistic about it. Even after getting thumped 23-7 last weekend, most still see the Packers as division favorites. Rodgers is always great coming off of losses, and their defense remains formidable. Chicago doesn’t have the luxury of throwing Justin Jefferson at them as Minnesota did. They say perception is reality in the NFL. The Bears won’t get any respect until they change that.
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Injuries:
Jon Runyan (concussion) – Green Bay’s offensive line is already hurting. David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins missed Week 1 and may also miss this game. Now the Packers’ third-best blocker is questionable for the home opener too. Rodgers was sacked four times by the Vikings. His comfort level doesn’t figure to improve if he’s down three starting blockers against a solid Bears pass rush.
Velus Jones (hamstring) – The Bears’ wide receivers struggled to find traction against San Francisco. That doesn’t figure to get easier against an excellent Packers secondary on Sunday night. Justin Fields needs more firepower. Head coach Matt Eberflus said Jones was “close” despite missing the opener. There is a good chance he plays this week. If so, the offense has another speed weapon for Green Bay to worry about.
Key matchups:
Cole Kmet vs. Quay Walker – The 49ers game didn’t unfold as the Chicago Bears had hoped. They’ve expressed a desire to get Kmet more involved. One target in the game is not what they had in mind. Look for them to correct that in this game. Minnesota seemed to pick on Walker frequently in coverage. The 1st round pick allowed five catches for 46 yards. It is a matchup Kmet should be able to exploit.
Romeo Dobbs vs. Kindle Vildor – Rodgers was unhappy with his young wide receivers last week. Still, Davante Adams isn’t walking through the door anymore. It appears the Packers QB has taken a liking to the rookie Dobbs who is a speedy outside target. Vildor has earned the trust of Bears coaches, but he remains the weak link in the secondary. Undoubtedly, Green Bay will try testing him deep, and Dobbs will be the likely target.
X-factors:
Kenny Clark – People talk about Rodgers, Adams, and Jaire Alexander whenever they talk about what’s made the Packers so good the past few years. Speak to any Bears that have been around long enough, and they’ll tell you nobody has given them bigger problems than Clark. He is an absolute force in the middle for the Packers’ defense and had six QB pressures last week. They can’t let him wreck the game.
Darnell Mooney – One catch for eight yards probably didn’t sit well with Mooney. For somebody that believes himself to be a #1 wide receiver, he can’t afford another clunker like that against Green Bay. The problem is they’ve done a good job of containing him in three of the past four meetings. If he wants everybody to know he is the real deal, he has to step up in this game.
Prediction: Packers win 26-23
To be the man, you got to beat the man. The Packers aren’t nearly the same team they were two years ago. They’re already banged up and no longer have their ace Adams in the passing game. Still, they have Rodgers. If Green Bay can run the ball (which they should be able to), then the Bears will have to score points to win. Asking that of them at this stage feels unlikely.
I’m pulling for The Beloved, but Vildor being on the field is a major concern. He will be providing free escort service again.
Bears win 24-21. Only win because of step up by Bear defense against a beat up GB Off Line and NO RECEIVERS. Rodgers needs to have people to catch the ball and there were a ton of drops by GB receivers against the Vikings.
A Rod is in for a very long day against the Bears’ secondary, and I believe he gets sacked multiple times in this one. I also feel like J Fields has a monster game against the Pack. He is not the “deer in the headlights” QB he was under Nagy; he is confident and understands he is the unquestioned starter and this is his team this go round. Getsy has a great opportunity to exploit the GB defense with all the speed the offense has and a great matchup at TE this Sunday. A Williams is going to have this… Read more »
Chicago wins by 14+
I expect the Bears to lose this game, but if their defense shows up, and their second half offense vs the San Francisco 49ers shows up we could see a game closer than what many believe. And if we are able to slow down the Packers we could see an outcome no one saw coming.