The Green Bay Packers are 0-2 against NFC North opponents this season, but they hope to reverse that trend this week against a struggling Chicago Bears team they’ve beaten 10 times in a row.
This matchup comes at a good time for the Packers, who should be focused and rejuvenated coming out of their bye week. Based on the injury report, they might be the healthiest they’ve been all season.
The Bears, on the other hand, are trying to hold on to whatever is left of their season. After an embarrassing 19-3 loss at the hands of the New England Patriots last week, they fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. It remains to be seen how that will help an offensive unit that ranks 30th in yards per game, 24th in points, and 2nd in sacks allowed.
If you’re Green Bay, you have to feel confident heading into this one. Chicago has a solid defense but an offensive line that can’t protect the number one overall pick, Caleb Williams. However, a desperate team like the Bears can still be dangerous.
With that in mind, here are three key matchups to keep an eye on this Sunday.
QB Jordan Love vs Chicago’s Pass Defense
Love’s decision-making was a glaring issue during the first half of the season. He managed to throw an interception in all seven of his starts and is currently tied for the league lead with 10. Hopefully, Love did some self-scouting during the bye week and won’t keep making the same mistakes. He’s put the ball in harm’s way far too often, and he is about to face a defense that has been really good against the pass in 2024. The Bears have intercepted eight passes this season and are seventh in passing yards allowed per game. Aside from the turnovers, Love has put up some impressive numbers this season, but Chicago has a stingy pass defense. It will be interesting to see how Love and the passing game look coming out of the bye week.
Green Bay’s Edge Rushers vs Chicago’s Offensive Tackles
The Bear’s pass protection woes could work to Green Bay’s advantage, especially with the Chicago missing both starting tackles, Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, due to injuries. Green Bay’s edge rusher room hasn’t lived up to expectations so far, but there is still time to turn things around. They declined to get help before last week’s trade deadline and instead traded away a productive veteran in Preston Smith. That means it will be up to Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, and Arron Mosby to step up. Fortunately, they have a good opportunity to hit the ground running against two backup tackles.
S Xavier McKinney vs WR DJ Moore
Not that the NFL’s oldest rivalry needed any more fuel, but that hasn’t stopped McKinney and Moore from fanning the flames leading up to Sunday’s matchup. During the offseason, Moore was unimpressed by Green Bay’s big free-agent signing. McKinney responded to the clip earlier this week, stating it’s been in his memory bank ever since. He also took a jab at Moore, poking fun at the receiver for walking off the field in the middle of a play against the Arizona Cardinals. Moore said he injured his ankle on the play, but McKinney wasn’t buying it. McKinney and Moore may not have any one-on-one matchups on Sunday, but that may not stop them from sharing some exchanges while both are on the field together.
