1 week Ago By Bears Wire
The oldest, yet recently most-lopsided rivalry in the NFL is officially renewed this Sunday when the welcome the Green Bay Packers to Soldier Field. This meeting marks the 209th meeting between these two teams, which has heavily favored Green Bay over the last decade. The Bears have lost 10 straight games to the Packers and are in the middle of a brutal stretch following their 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
That resulted in them firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, which was the talk of the town this week. That's not exactly the best situation for quarterback Caleb Williams, who will etch his name in this rivalry one way or another this weekend. Green Bay, meanwhile, is well rested coming off their bye and is looking to bounce back as well following their 27-17 loss to the Detroit Lions two weeks ago.
Can the Bears finally end their losing streak against Green Bay? Williams has a chance to get things right and do something no Bears rookie quarterback has done since Kyle Orton, which is get a win over the Packers. If that is going to happen, they will need to contain these five Packers players on Sunday: Packers quarterback Jordan Love has done something that Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers failed to do, and that is defeat the Chicago Bears twice in one season during his first year as a starter. He will try and make it three in a row Sunday, but Love has regressed a bit following last season.
Love is tied for the league lead in interceptions with 10, but he has played two fewer games than the other leaders, Geno Smith and Sam Darnold. He's been a boom-or-bust quarterback, which could give the Bears opportunities for turnovers. What Love has going for him, however, is that he is fully healthy following the bye week.
He suffered a groin injury a few weeks ago against the Jaguars and had to miss time earlier this season with a knee injury. With some time off, that could serve him well as he gets back on the field. He is 0-2 against the division this year, however, so perhaps there is some hope for the Bears to get a win.
If the Packers are smart with their playcalling (and we know they are against the Bears), then they will feed running back Josh Jacobs early and often. The Bears run defense continues to struggle, and the Packers offense has thrived when Jacobs gets going early. He has 52 carries in the first quarter this season compared to 33, 37, and 36 in the second, third, and fourth quarters, respectively.
Jacobs has decimated poor run defenses this season, feasting on the Indianapolis Colts (32 carries for 151 yards) and Jacksonville Jaguars (25 carries for 127 yards). Of course, both of those games featured Malik Willis at quarterback, so it's unlikely Green Bay gives him the ball more than 20 times per game with Love playing. Still, Jacobs will get plenty of looks against this Bears defense that allows 133 yards per game on the ground.
It could be a big game for him. The troubling trend for the Bears facing opposing tight ends continues. For the second week in a row, the leading receiver for the opposing offense has been a tight end after Austin Hooper managed to gain 64 yards on three catches last week for the New England Patriots.
There is little doubt the Packers will take advantage of mismatches in the middle of the defense and get Tucker Kraft involved in the passing game. Kraft has had a breakout season during his second year in the league. He has taken advantage of the increased looks with Luke Musgrave sidelined and has become a focal point of the offense.
Kraft has already surpassed his rookie totals and leads the team with five touchdown catches. With how effective the Bears cornerbacks have been, don't be surprised to see Kraft see even more looks and possibly get in the end zone. There is no doubt the best defensive player on the Packers this season has been safety Xavier McKinney.
The veteran defensive back who signed with Green Bay during free agency has been a spark to their secondary, leading the league in interceptions with six and managing to allow an opposing passer rating of just 42.4, the best of his young career. McKinney isn't just making noise on the field, though.
The matchup between those two players will surely be one to watch, and it will be interesting to see if McKinney can back up the talk. Either way, he's someone the Bears and Williams need to keep an eye on. I'm not saying this week's game against the Bears and Packers will be close.
I have already predicted a two-score loss that probably should be more based on how fast Chicago is spiraling. But let's say this one does remain close for whatever reason. If that's the case, then Packers kicker Brandon McManus will be under the microscope.
Green Bay's woes at kicker extend back to the 2023 season, and after multiple efforts to fix it, they may have found the solution. McManus has kicked two game-winning field goals this season but is also coming off his worst game in the green and gold. Now, McManus will kick at Soldier Field for just the second time in his career, a place that can be tricky for kickers.
Perhaps he misses one that gives the Bears life in a tight game. It's always interesting to see how kickers handle the cross winds off Lake Michigan, so he's worth watching, even if the game ends up being a blowout..
