The Green Bay Packers have a 9-0 record after a loss under head coach Matt LaFleur. That streak will be put to the test Sunday night when they take on the Chicago Bears in the home opener.
Last week, the Packers suffered an ugly defeat to the Minnesota Vikings while the Bears pulled off a surprising upset over the San Francisco 49ers. However, despite two very different results in week one, the oddsmakers still like the Packers as big betting favorites.
That probably has a lot to do with Aaron Rodgers’ history against the franchise. Rodgers is 22-5 all-time against the Bears, but he and the offense need to bounce back in a big way after last week’s showing. Missed opportunities and bad execution were the main reasons for the team’s poor performance, not only on offense, but defense as well.
On paper, everyone would agree the Packers should be heavy favorites. Chicago has a roster built for a rebuild, but that didn’t stop them from sliding into the win column to start the season. It’s a scrappy bunch with enough talent at key positions to give Green Bay trouble.
Let’s highlight four key matchups to look forward to in the latest installment of the NFL’s oldest rivalry.
Packers OL Royce Newman vs Bears DE Dominique Robinson
The Bears rookie edge rusher made a statement in his first NFL game. According to Pro Football Focus, Robinson totaled three pressures and two sacks against the 49ers and was the highest graded rookie edge defender in week one. Robinson was highly disruptive in only 28 defensive snaps, with most of his success coming against San Francisco right tackle Mike McGlinchey. Meanwhile, Newman was not good in his first career start right tackle for the Packers as he allowed three pressures and one sack. Unfortunately, it looks like Newman will have to remain at right tackle until either David Bakhtiari or Elgton Jenkins are healthy enough to play this week.
Packers OLBs Rashan Gary and Preston Smith vs Bears OT Braxton Jones
Chicago started a rookie at left tackle against a talented 49ers pass rush unit, and it went how you would expect. Jones struggled in his debut, surrendering two sacks and three pressures, per PFF. Jones will be thrown into the fire for the second straight week as he prepares to face another set of talented edge rushers. Gary logged five pressures and a sack in last week’s loss, while Smith added five pressures of his own. Gary and Smith basically split time against Minnesota’s left and right tackles, which means Jones will likely see both a lot on Sunday.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers vs Bears pass defense
To put it simply, Rodgers wasn’t good in Week 1. It didn’t help that he was playing behind an inexperienced offensive line, but he also made some poor decisions and missed some guys that were open. Rodgers finished the day with a passer rating of 67.7 but has a career passer rating of 109.2 against Chicago. He has tormented this franchise for over a decade and declared himself an owner last season. The Bears’ pass defense did a good job of holding Trey Lance and San Francisco’s receivers to just 164 yards, but they will have to be even better this week.
Packers run offense vs Bears run defense
The Packers didn’t run the ball enough against the Vikings. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon combined for 15 carries for 94 yards and should have been leaned on a lot more than they were. Jones especially after receiving only eight touches for the entire game. For whatever reason, LaFleur will abandon the run game when his team gets down, but that can’t happen against a vulnerable Bears front. Last week, they gave up 176 yards on the ground to the 49ers, albeit on 37 attempts, because of the weather and field conditions. Nonetheless, Green Bay has to be adamant about getting their ball carriers plenty of touches in week two. Jones and Dillon are two of their best offensive players and should combine for at least 20 carries against Chicago.
