The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will open the 2023 season with a rivalry renewal at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon. The winner will start 1-0, have a big division win banked entering Week 2 and feel great about their chances in the post-Aaron Rodgers era.
Can Jordan Love begin his starting career with a win in Chicago, or will Justin Fields and the Bears snap an eight-game losing streak to the Packers?
Buy Packers TicketsHere’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 1 showdown against the Bears will go down:
Zach Kruse (0-0): Packers 23, Bears 20
I will admit being deeply split on this prediction. On one hand, the Packers — who have struggled mightily in season openers recently — are going back on the road in Week 1 with a first-year starting quarterback and an extremely young group of pass-catchers, and not having dynamic weapon Christian Watson (hamstring) available will only complicate the task ahead for Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love. The defense’s question marks up front (two new starters) and against the run in general will be put to the test, and three new specialists could create some nervous moments. But even though the Bears have clear paths to winning the game, I can’t get over what should be a huge advantage for the Packers along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and how important this advantage should be to determining the winner. Love will be effective if he’s consistently protected, and Justin Fields will take sacks and make mistakes if he’s consistently pressured. While the quarterback change in Green Bay gets all the headlines, the Packers will beat the Bears on Sunday if they dominate in the trenches like this matchup suggests they should.
Brandon Carwile (0-0): Packers 20, Bears 17
After finishing 3-14 last season, Chicago used the offseason to add multiple pieces on offense and defense. However, the Bears haven’t defeated the Packers since 2018 and I don’t think that will change in this year’s season opener despite some new players and their previous owner switching conferences. New starting quarterback Jordan Love won’t have to be great in this game as long as Green Bay can run the ball effectively. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon will combine for over 100 yards in this game and have a rushing touchdown each. Defensively, Justin Fields has thrown six interceptions in four games against the Packers and I expect that trend to continue on Sunday. There will likely be some stagnant stretches from Green Bay’s offense, but I predict the defense will come away with a fourth-quarter interception to seal the win.
Paul Bretl (0-0): Packers 21, Bears 17
I’m really torn on this one. The Packers not having Christian Watson was almost enough for me to pick the Bears because not only do the Packers lose his big play ability, but the opportunities he creates for others just by being on the field with the attention he draws. However, unlike last season, I do think with the speed that Green Bay has one offense in Jayden Reed and Luke Musgrave, along with Dontayvion Wicks’ ability to win downfield, the Packers are better equipped this year to handle Watson’s absence in regards to still having the ability to push the ball downfield, and not allowing Chicago to as easily shrink the field by playing closer to the line of scrimmage—something we saw opponents do often in 2022. Behind a Packers offensive line that has been very good this summer and should be one of the better units in football, I still believe Green Bay can find success on the ground, which for me, is the key to this game for them, even against a Bears defense that has made a few additions, but is coming off a year where they were one of the worst statistical units in football. On defense, perhaps I’m a prisoner of the moment, but I do believe we will see improved play from the front-seven, specifically against the run, after their performance this summer, which included looking a lot faster than previous years and using more post-snap movement. If Green Bay can at least somewhat slow the Bears on the ground, it will force them to rely on their passing game more so.
Brennen Rupp (0-0): Packers 28, Bears 13
Green Bay’s defensive coordinator Joe Barry recently stated that the 2023 Green Bay Packers will be different than the 2022 Green Bay Packers. I’ll drink that Kool-Aid. I think Barry is going to be more aggressive and I expect the Packers to set the tone and control the line of scrimmage against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. With a plethora of first-round picks in the lineup, it’s time for Green Bay’s defense to be great and the backbone of this team while the offense works through some rough patches early in the season. If the defense can keep Justin Fields under wraps, I think Jordan Love and the offense will make enough plays to pull away from the Bears late to open the Jordan Love Era on the right foot.
Season prediction records
| Writer | Record | Prediction | Score |
| Zach Kruse | 0-0 | Win | 23-20 |
| Brandon Carwile | 0-0 | Win | 20-17 |
| Paul Bretl | 0-0 | Win | 21-17 |
| Brenenn Rupp | 0-0 | Win | 28-13 |
