Good afternoon, everyone. On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers will take on the Chicago Bears in another installment of their over 100-year old rivalry. Even though the Packers might not have a great shot at a playoff berth, it would be satisfying to get another win over the Bears and snatch that all-time wins mark. For reference, the two teams are tied at 786 wins all time. Here are my thoughts on what Green Bay needs to do to take that number one spot in all time victories.
On offense, the Packers need to focus their attack on the running back duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. I’m sure that these two running backs (plus maybe a bit of Patrick Taylor) can get plenty of rushing yards against the Bears defense. It all depends on how the offensive line performs, especially with David Bakhtiari out due to a recent appendectomy that he had. Even with his absence, the lineman need to create the holes for the running backs to go through for plenty of yards. In addition to running the ball well, the running backs need to catch every pass when given the opportunity to be used in the passing game. Speaking of the passing game, the offensive linemen (obviously minus Bakhtiari) need to protect Aaron Rodgers from getting sacked once. Josh Myers, in particular, needs to do much better than last week against the Eagles, in which one or two sacks were because of Myers getting beat. Every lineman needs to execute his assignment to make sure Rodgers stays upright. The passing game plan should be for Rodgers to get rid of the ball quick in order to avoid any potential re-injury to his rib cage. The receivers, in turn, need to catch each and every pass thrown by Rodgers (other than throwaways). Hopefully Romeo Doubs is able to make his comeback on Sunday to pair with Christian Watson (who could be in the running for offensive rookie of the year). The most important thing for the Packers to do on offense is to sustain long drives that end in touchdowns. Converting third downs and avoiding turnovers can help the Packers achieve this goal and win the time of possession battle. As long as everyone does their part on offense, I think that the Packers can once again put up 30 points on the scoreboard.
On defense, the Packers need to focus on stopping the run. I know that they were unsuccessful against the Eagles, allowing 363 yards on the ground. The two players on the Bears that the Packers need to limit are Justin Fields and David Montgomery. Those two can run the ball for plenty of yards if given an open field. Any defensive player needs to focus on tackling them normally instead of diving for their ankles or throwing a bad shoulder at them. The running game is all the Bears should have to be competitive in this game. If the Packers are able to limit the impact of the run, then they can get after Justin Fields and at least force him to throw passes that can be picked off. Whoever are left to receive for the Bears need to be covered well by Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Micah Abernathy, and Adrian Amos. There should be no situation where the Packers defense gives up a long touchdown drive to a Bears offense that is wounded. Keeping them from converting third downs (and fourth downs) and forcing any type of turnover can help the Packers defense frustrate the Bears. Any chance for an interception or a fumble recovery needs to be capitalized by the Packers defense in order to set up a potential score on offense. Even better would be for the defense to get a couple of scores themselves. Hopefully Joe Barry gets to redeem himself after not being left in Philadelphia last week.
On Special Teams, all the Packers need to do is to keep mistakes to a minimum. On kick and punt returns, Keisean Nixon needs to be smart with the football and take advantage of any long return opportunities. On punts where it’s not safe to return it, Nixon needs to secure the fair catch. Hopefully there are no silly penalties that mess up a long return. On the other side, the coverage unit needs to keep Chicago from having any long kickoff or punt returns. The easiest way to avoid these returns is for Pat O’Donnell (who used to play with the Bears) to punt each ball deep and out of bounds and for Mason Crosby to kick each ball out of the end zone for a touchback. On field goals and punts, Jack Coco needs to snap the ball accurately and the line as a whole needs to protect any kicks from getting blocked. Pat O’Donnell needs to secure the hold for Mason Crosby, who should be able to make each kick when called upon. The punts need to be deep into Bears territory each time so the Chicago offense starts with an awful field position. Hopefully the Packers don’t fall for any trick plays that the Bears might pull during this game. I’m sure Rich Bisaccia will get them ready for anything.
Overall, I am confident that the Packers can take care of business and sweep the season series against the Bears. Regardless of the outcome, I pray that no players get hurt on Sunday at Soldier Field. I’ll be here for the recap on Monday or Tuesday. Have a great weekend, everyone. Go Pack Go!
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