Good evening, everyone. It’s crazy that Week 17 of the 2020 NFL season is already here. For the Green Bay Packers, their next game is on Sunday afternoon against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. In the 202nd meeting between these 2 franchises, the Packers have one goal in mind. That goal is to win their 13th game of the season. A win on Sunday will secure the NFC’s #1 seed and make the playoffs go through Lambeau Field. I am here, as always, for my thoughts on what the Packers need to do to get that first-round bye. Without further delay, let’s get started.
On offense, the key for the Packers is to have a balanced attack throughout the game. They will have to overcome adversity in the form of David Bakhtiari’s knee injury, which he suffered in practice on New Year’s Eve. Even with this injury, I am sure that offensive line coach Adam Stenavich will get the unit (which includes Elgton Jenkins, Billy Turner, and Corey Linsley) ready to play very well on Sunday and during the postseason. The Bears’ defensive front does include the likes of Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, but I think that the O-Line will be able to create the holes for AJ Dillon, Aaron Jones, or Jamaal Williams to run through. It is then up to the backs to follow the holes and break tackles on their way to plenty of positive yardage. I am also sure that the backs will be used in the passing game through screen passes and (maybe) wheel routes that are devised by head coach Matt LaFleur. For the passing game, the O-Line (plus the backs on some occasions) need to protect Aaron Rodgers from any pressures from the Bears defense. If Rodgers is kept upright, then he will be able to throw to his receivers accurately. Those targets include Davante Adams, Robert Tonyan, Allen Lazard, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Their job is to run their routes and catch every pass that is thrown by Rodgers (with help from Matt LaFleur’s play design). For a couple of receivers, they are on the brink of breaking franchise records. With 109 catches this season, Davante Adams only needs 4 more to break Sterling Sharpe’s record of 112 catches in 1993. With 17 touchdown catches, he needs 2 to break Sharpe’s record of 18 TD catches in 1994. For Robert Tonyan, he is 2 TD catches away from Paul Coffman’s record of 11 TD catches by a Packers tight end (which Coffman reached in 1983). I think that those records will be broken on Sunday afternoon. As with anything, we will have to wait and see. As always, the Packers need to win the time of possession battle on offense by converting third downs and not committing turnovers (including fumbles and interceptions). In the red zone, they need to score touchdowns on each possession instead of settling for field goals. As long as they do these things, I think that Green Bay will put up at least 35 points on the Bears defense.
On defense, the key for the Packers is to stop the running game of Chicago. The defensive front was bolstered by the addition of Damon Harrison (nicknamed “Snacks”). Harrison was a former member of the Lions and the Seahawks before being claimed off of waivers by Green Bay. I think that this addition will help the Packers defense defend the run on Sunday against David Montgomery and during the playoffs. Whoever gets a chance to tackle the ball carrier needs to make sure that he is tackled properly for little gain. The defense cannot let anybody break a tackle, which could result in a chunk play in Chicago’s favor (regardless of the play being a run or a pass play). If the defense is able to keep the run game in check, then the pass rush (including Za’Darius Smith and Rashan Gary) can once again get after Mitchell Trubisky and frustrate him all game long. I think that there will be at least a couple of sacks of Trubisky on Sunday. Against Trubisky, the defense needs to keep him the pocket and not allow him to scramble, which they did well back in Week 12. Pressuring him constantly will force him to throw passes that can be easily picked off by anybody on defense. What can also help frustrate Trubisky is for the defensive backs to cover the receivers well and not allow wide-open catches. I am sure that Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, Adrian Amos, and the rest of the secondary will be up to the challenge not only on Sunday, but during the postseason as well. As always, third down conversions and red-zone touchdowns need to be kept to a minimum by the Packers defense. Getting a couple of key stops and turnovers will also increase the Packers’ chances of getting another win against the Bears. I have a great feeling that the defense will get the job done on Sunday (and beyond).
On Special Teams, the Packers just need to avoid crucial mistakes. Some of these mistakes include allowing a punt return for a touchdown and letting a field goal (or punt) to get blocked. The Packers got lucky last week against the Titans because of the offsides penalty, but any blocked kick can’t happen again. On the other side, it would be nice to see a Packers player block a kick and set the offense up for another scoring drive (bonus points for returning the blocked kick for a touchdown). During kickoffs and punts, the coverage unit needs to tackle the returner (probably Cordarrelle Patterson) while not missing any tackling opportunity. When it’s Green Bay’s turn for a kick or punt return, I hope that the returner (maybe Tavon Austin) can make the most of the return opportunity. Otherwise, the fielder needs to make smart decisions with the ball and avoid turning it over. Mason Crosby needs to continue making all of his kicks, while JK Scott needs to punt each ball deep in Bears territory (if he is called upon). Hunter Bradley needs to snap the ball accurately to make sure that every field goal or punt attempt goes smoothly. As long as mistakes are kept to a minimum, I think that the Packers will be fine on Special Teams (and overall as a team).
This game is extremely important for the Packers for a couple of reasons. Not only is it a division game, but it’s a chance for Green Bay to lock up the #1 seed in the playoffs. Nothing would be better than to have the playoffs go through the “Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field.” A win on Sunday will give the Packers that opportunity. Regardless of the outcome, I hope that both teams have no additional injuries or COVID-19 cases (fingers crossed). I will be here for my post-game thoughts on either Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, I hope that you all have a good night. Go Pack Go!
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