It’s the dawn of the final day. A historic rivalry will have another chapter written tomorrow when the hated Green Bay Packers come into Soldier Field to battle the new and improved Chicago Bears to kick off the 2023 season.
The Bears come into the new NFL year with rampant speculation and uncontrolled excitement surrounding their new team. The talk is, of course, all about franchise quarterback Justin Fields and if he’ll take that next big step as a passer and step into the upper echelon of superstar quarterbacks.
Buy Bears TicketsBut the team has several more immediate questions that will be answered in tomorrow’s game. Will Fields come out the gate red hot? Will receiver DJ Moore be involved in the offense early? Will the defense get the best of Packers quarterback Jordan Love?
Let’s discuss all these storylines and more as we go over the five biggest storylines heading into Week 1.
1
Will we see evidence of QB Justin Fields' growth as a passer?
Fields will be trotting onto Soldier Field tomorrow with sky-high expectations. The Chicago faithful are bracing themselves for the third-year quarterback to demonstrate immense progress as a passer in the coming season and finally insert himself in the conversation of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. While that growth may become evident as Fields gets himself into midseason form, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll put on a passing clinic against the Packers in Week 1.
Fields historically has gotten off to a slow start at the beginning of the NFL season. Whether it’s jitters or tension, it cannot be said, but the tape suggests that he is a bit inconsistent as a passer in the beginning of the football year, only to ratchet it up several notches as the season gets going. Things have changed in the locker room, however: the Bears brought in star receiver DJ Moore to give Fields a big X-receiver to throw to, re-signed tight end Cole Kmet and used a first-round selection on tackle Darnell Wright all in an attempt to get Fields the tools he needs to succeed.
Chicago’s coaching staff will do everything possible to ease QB1 into the game and get him in his rhythm. Look for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy to call screens, quick slants, or a one-on-one shot down the field as he gives Fields every opportunity to see a pass caught and get him into a flow early.
Fields has the heavy burden of expectation on his shoulders, and it remains to be seen if he can bear its weight in Week 1.
2
Will the defense start strong and rattle Jordan Love?
While Fields and the offense is expected to take a big leap this year, the defense is flying well below the radar. The defense has talent at key positions, like cornerback, safety and linebacker, but the defensive line is a liability that hinders the Bears’ defense from being considered as a top unit. The defense has a great chance of changing that narrative when they line up against Love and the Packers offense tomorrow.
The strength of Green Bay’s offense lies with the run game, even more so now that Packers receiver Christian Watson will be held out of Week 1. The defense’s first mission will be to contain the one-two punch of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, who have both had big games against Chicago in years’ past. If the defenders are able to stifle a potent Packers’ running attack, the chances of getting Love and force mistakes increases.
In passing situations, expect defensive coordinator Alan Williams to dial up blitzes from every position to get into Love’s face and make him uncomfortable in the pocket. This will have the dual effect of helping out a weak defensive line group, as well as make Love indecisive in his decision-making, which can lead to a turnover.
While Love may blossom into a great quarterback one day, he isn’t now. He’s not Aaron Rodgers, who has superhuman accuracy and indomitable mental toughness. Chicago should see a break in the armor, and they’ll exploit it.
3
How involved will WR DJ Moore be in the offense?
Finally, after a long few months of only catching glimpses and reading reports about Fields and Moore’s electric chemistry, we’ll get the full experience tomorrow during Week 1. It’s no point of contention that Moore was brought to Chicago to elevate the offense to another level; the question is how immediate will the promised effect take place?
Much like with Fields, Getsy will surely draw up plays to get Moore involved often and early. Some of the aforementioned screens, slants and deep shots will be thrown to the star pass catcher early, for a multitude of reasons. First, it’s just common sense that the coaching staff will look to get the ball to the Bears’ best receiver, but moreover it will spur on the Fields to Moore connection. Having a rapport with a quarterback in training camp or the preseason can look much different when it all counts, as opposing defenses are using much more complicated schemes and, of course, the level of play is higher. Scripting plays to build the connection will only help in the long run.
It also makes sense from scheme perspective. Letting Green Bay know that the team will be targeting Moore often and early is a great way to make them compensate, rolling over a safety for help over the top or spreading out the defense. This will allow a strong running game to have even more success, since there are less defenders stacking the box. Having the spotlight on Moore frees up fellow receivers Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, who have a better shot of winning their individual matchups to get open.
All signs point to Moore being a major component of a much-improved offense. We’ll see if those signs point to results.
4
Can the defensive line play above expectations (and stop the run)?
A suspect defensive line will have the tall task of overcoming a good Packers’ offensive line, one that features All-Pro tackle David Bakhtiari. The defensive line is, on paper, easily the weakest position on the team, with only two players having any real success playing in the NFL. Only defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker are poised to make any sort of impact on a game-to-game basis; the rest of the group is filled out with rookies and unproven players. Still though, this is the NFL, where anything can happen. Can the Bears’ weak defensive line hold its own against the Packers?
The main issue here isn’t even rushing the passer, though that is still certainly a concern: it’s stopping the Packers’ dangerous run game. Jones and Dillon are imposing runners that have the potential to cripple the Bears’ chances of winning the game. A rebuilt linebacker unit will hold their own, but football is a team sport, so the defensive line will need to find some way to win on the interior and plug running lanes. Defensive tackles Justin Jones and Andrew Billings will be the first line of defense against the run, but the key to truly suffocating the ground attack will be rookies Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens. Their combination of quickness and power could be crucial in sliding past lineman, possibly even getting tackles-for-loss.
Though it’s admittedly a long shot, if Chicago can limit Green Bay’s production on the ground, the Bears have a much better chance of winning the game.
5
What will the running back rotation look like?
The Bears firmly committed to a running back rotation after bringing in former Panthers RB D’Onta Foreman and drafting powerful runner Roschon Johnson in this year’s draft. The talented Khali Herbert has maintained his role as a starter in the Bears offense, but there are still big questions that remain regarding how the team will manage the running back committee. It’s possible that Herbert will be the designated lead back of the group, only his coaches to take him out in favor of another running back in certain plays, formations or situations. It’s equally as likely that the Bears will rotate different runners in every drive in an attempt to keep the group fresh.
Another set of scenarios presents itself when considering Chicago’s red-zone package. The goal line might be where the rookie Johnson makes his mark, as his powerful running style fits the situation. Then again, Foreman is a veteran who will protect the ball as defenders swipe at it, as will Herbert.
There’s no predicting how the position will be utilized, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on as the game progresses.
