The Bears are in turmoil and now face their rival that’s gotten the better of them for 10 straight meetings.
Here comes the dreaded Green Bay Packers.
Leave it to the Chicago Bears, a franchise managing to once again fall on their face and show what an incompetent, disorganized, mess of an organization they are. They do it right as they head into a game with their supposed rival, the team they should most want to emulate.
But the longest losing streak the Bears have had in this series looks like it will reach a new low for Chicago.
However, that’s why they play the games. The Bears are underdogs, but you never know.
Then again, we kind of know. Because we’ve seen this show so many times before.
Green Bay Packers
SB Nation site: Acme Packing Company
Record: 6-3, third in NFC North
Last week: Bye week (before that was a 24-14 loss to the Detroit Lions)
Game day, time, TV: Sunday, noon. CT, FOX
Spread: The Packers are 5.5-point favorites.
Bears all-time record against: 95-107-6, including postseason
Historical meetings: Nov. 17, 1963, week 10. The 8-1 Bears faced the 8-1 Packers at Wrigley Field.
Vince Lombardi. George Halas. The Bears defense absolutely stymied the Packers offense.
The Bears took a 26-point lead. The defense made Green Bay QBs John Roach and Zeke Bratkowski throw five interceptions combined and a combined stat line of 11 for 30 for 178 yards.
The Packers finally got on the board with a fourth-quarter touchdown run from Tom Moore.
Bears won 26-7 and went on to win the championship.
Last meeting: Week 18 last season at Lambeau. The Bears mustered just nine points, were 3-of-11 on third down, and Justin Fields was sacked five times.
Injury report: The Packers had seven players on their Wednesday injury report.
Limited participation
- CB Jaire Alexander (knee)
- DL Kenny Clark (toe)
- RB Josh Jacobs (quadricep)
- RB MarShawn Lloyd (ankle/hamstring)
- C/G Josh Myers (wrist)
- S Evan Williams (hamstring)
Did not participate
- DL Colby Wooden (shoulder)
Offense: The Packers come into the game ranked ninth in points and third in yards.
Their passing offense ranks seventh and their rushing offense ranks third.
Jordan Love (61.3 pct. cmp./1,820 yds./15 TD/10 INT) comes into the game tied for the league lead with 10 interceptions.
His weapons are playing well. Jaylen Reed (36 rec./620 yds./3 TD) and receiver Romeo Doubs (30/412/2) are playing extremely well. TE Tucker Kraft (28/376/5) has come into his own and is a huge red zone threat for Green Bay.
They’re also getting help from WRs Christian Watson (16/233/2) and Dontayvion Wicks (16/192/4). Josh Jacobs (19/128/1) is also a receiving threat.
On the ground, Jacobs (158 att./762 yds./3 TD) is having a big season after being Green Bay’s big offseason acquisition. Emanuel Wilson (55/254/1) is also effective and don’t sleep on those jet sweeps and end arounds from Reed (11/110/1).
Defense: The Packers defense ranks 11th in points and 12th in yards.
Their passing defense ranks 15th and their rushing defense ranks 10th.
New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has improved the defense in Green Bay.
Led by Quay Walker (64 tkl/1.5 sk/4 TFL/2 QB hits), Isaiah McDuffie (55 tkl/0.5 sk/1 TFL/3 QB hits/2 PD) and Javon Bullard (51 tkl/1 TFL/1 PD), who are making plays.
Up front, Rashan Gary (2.5 sk/5 TFL/8 QB hits), Preston Smith (2.5 sk/4 PD/2 TFL/4 QB hits), Kenny Clark (2 QB hits/2 TFL) and Lukas Van Ness (1 sk/4 TFL/2 QB hits) are getting after opposing QBs.
In the secondary, Xavier McKinney (6 INT/7 PD/1 sk/2 TFL/1 QB hit) leads the league in interceptions. Jaire Alexander (2 INT/7 PD) is playing well, too. S Evan Williams (1 INT/3 PD/1 FF) and CB Keisean Nixon (3 PD/1 FF/2 sk/4 TFL) are also making plays.
Key matchups: If the Bears are going to stay competitive in this game they need to stop Josh Jacobs first and foremost. He is a beast and running the ball extremely well. If he gets going, it’s easy to see this one getting out of hand.
The offense has to get the ground game going on their own. Get D’Andre Swift involved early. Thomas Brown needs to get Caleb Williams into a rhythm early with short throws to DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Oh and let’s see Cole Kmet get involved, too.
The offensive line has to protect better or the Packers will be able to tee off and then it will all go down.
Key stats
- After getting 17 turnovers in their first six games, the Packers have just two in their last three games.
- Green Bay’s lowest offensive yardage total was 277 yards against the Houston Texans. The Bears have had more than that just four times this season.
- The Packers defense has as many interceptions (10) as Jordan Love has thrown
- The Bears are 4-1 at home this season. The Packers are 3-1 on the road.
- Matt LaFleur has never lost to the Bears. His teams are 28-11 after the bye week, but are 2-3 in the first game after the bye.
- The current 10-game losing streak to the Packers is tied for the longest which was from Oct. 31, 1994 to Dec. 27, 1999.
- The last time the Bears swept the season series against the Packers was 2007
Can the Bears get a win Sunday? What is it going to take for them to finally defeat the team from up north?