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After pulling off a wild Week 1 win, the Chicago Bears will try to accomplish something Sunday night they haven’t since 2015 — win at Lambeau Field.
The Bears have lost six straight to the Green Bay Packers and 11 of 12 but will try to turn the tide in coach Matt Eberflus’ first taste of the rivalry.
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As kickoff approaches, here’s our snapshot look at the game.
Aaron Rodgers
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Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams has a message for his players this week.
“Don’t drink the Kool-Aid of what the media is trying to sell that there’s gloom and doom in Green Bay,” Williams said. “Don’t fall into that trap.”
Rodgers is in the spotlight of most every Bears-Packers game given his 23-5 record in the series, but this time it’s because the Packers are coming off a 23-7, season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Rodgers threw an interception and lost a fumble. With Packers offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins sidelined, the Vikings sacked Rodgers four times. And rookie wide receiver Christian Watson dropped what could have been a 75-yard touchdown pass.
But Williams wants his players to remain cognizant of Rodgers’ ability to bounce back from a loss, including last year’s 38-3 season-opening defeat to the New Orleans Saints. The Packers won their next seven games.
Rodgers is in new territory playing without longtime top receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Packers also played without wide receiver Allen Lazard, and Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said the absences showed on film.
“They’re really learning,” Johnson said. “You can see that (the receivers) are not in the spots that he would want them to be. You can tell that he’s not as comfortable as he’s been in the previous years. But I definitely feel like they’re going to improve. So I’m not looking for those same mess-ups or anything like that this coming week.”
Williams believes the quarterback will help his teammates along.
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“Don’t underestimate the power of great leadership,” Williams said. “He is a great leader, and he will get those guys into shape. What we’re trying to do is to block out everything else and focus on the task at hand, which is improving each week, follow the process, stay the course.”
Can Justin Fields and the Bears offense build on their Week 1 second half?
Despite an ugly first half in the Bears’ Week 1 win over the San Francisco 49ers, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy liked quarterback Justin Fields’ mindset.
“I was really impressed by how he handled every situation,” Getsy said, “the way we were able to talk about what happened on the field when you’re backed up and then he throws an interception.
“That whole time, that dude was stone cold. He was ready to go. There was no ‘woe is me’ at all in that young man.”
Fields’ final numbers weren’t great: 121 passing yards and two touchdowns, one interception and 28 rushing yards. But he helped spark the Bears to three consecutive touchdown drives in the second half to salvage the win.
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Now the Bears are going up against a Packers defense that Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson destroyed on the way to nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bears don’t have a player like Jefferson, but they’re hopeful they can take advantage of Packers mistakes to make progress in the passing game. Only running back David Montgomery had more than one catch Sunday.
“There are a lot of explosive plays that can be made,” Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney said. “They kind of got confused on certain things. But last year they were 0-1 (after) Week 1 and they went on to win seven games. You can’t focus on Week 1 at all. You’ve got to go out there and play ball.”
Williams had an interesting name for the Packers’ two-headed run threat of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, who combined for 94 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. They also had eight catches for 73 yards.
“We call them ‘thickians.’ That means they have thicker lower bodies,” Williams said. “They can move the pile. Good jump cuts. They have great vision. They can catch the football. They protect well. Two very complete backs. Two backs that can change the ballgame. Two backs that can move the sticks.
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“So we’re going to have our hands full in terms of where that’s concerned. We’re going to have to bring extra guys to make sure we stop those two. We need six, seven, eight guys to take care of those two guys.”
It might not be the heavy downpours of the Bears-49ers game, but weather reports predict some rain might fall at Lambeau Field on Sunday night. We’ll see if that changes either team’s game plan.
Three prominent members of the Bears offense are returning to Lambeau Field for the first time since switching sides in the rivalry.
Getsy worked for the Packers for seven seasons, most recently as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Center Lucas Patrick played in 73 games over five seasons in Green Bay. And wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown had 37 catches for 543 yards over three seasons with the Packers.
Getsy said it’s more fun than emotional to return to Green Bay, where he got his start in the NFL in 2014.
“We had an unbelievable time up there,” Getsy said. “We have so many friends in that town. That’s the part where it was hard to leave, the friendships that you have with the people of Green Bay. And obviously the people in the organization. Three of my sons love ball — I mean love ball. So they quickly were all about Justin Fields.”
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Patrick could remain in a right guard rotation with Teven Jenkins as he wears a cast while recovering from a right thumb injury. Getsy said he thought the rotation went well and benefited both players, though he wouldn’t commit to it this week. Patrick said he is comfortable with it.
“My first few years in the league I was a rotational inside guy, so I understand internally how to prepare myself to go in at a moment’s notice or come out at a moment’s notice,” Patrick said. “I’ve gone in for guys when their shoelaces popped and run four plays and come out. And I’ve gone in when guys unfortunately don’t return to finish the game. So another scenario I have a lot of banked reps at.”
Bears rookie wide receiver/returner Velus Jones Jr., who missed the opener, missed practice Thursday as he continues to battle a hamstring injury.
For the Packers, Bakhtiari (knee) and guard Jon Runyan (concussion) missed practice Thursday, while Jenkins (knee) and Lazard (ankle) were limited.
The last time the Packers lost consecutive regular-season games, the Bears were 12 games into the Matt Nagy regime. That was a long time ago. The Packers are seeking consistency with young wide receivers, and injuries complicate matters for the offensive line protecting Aaron Rodgers. The Bears have their own challenges on offense, and it’s hard to imagine Rodgers and Co. looking out of sorts again after a rough start on the road against the Vikings.
Packers 24, Bears 17
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I’m with Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams: Don’t let the Packers’ season-opening loss to the Vikings fool you. Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers, and while he might be adjusting to life without Davante Adams, he always seems to find a way to will the Packers to victory. At least against the Bears, who seem to draw out his motivation. The Bears offense still has a lot to prove, and they don’t have a Justin Jefferson to tear up the Packers defense. The Bears’ rivalry losing streak is likely to continue.
Packers 23, Bears 17
Aaron Rodgers has five Week 1 losses on his career resume but has never started 0-2. Even with so many moving parts around him — a young and reshuffled receiving corps, an injury-riddled line, new offensive assistants — Rodgers has a knack for figuring things out. He also has a knack for getting up to face the Bears. Yes, Matt Eberflus’ team is focused and feisty enough to keep this game competitive. Bu they might have a few more steps to go before they’re ready to win a high-profile road game against a championship contender.
Packers 24, Bears 13
