Why the Packers Will Beat The Bears and Why They Might Not

FEATURE

Why the Packers Will Beat The Bears and Why They Might Not

All the reasons Green Bay will beat the Bears and a couple why it might not.

Sep 09, 2018

If it seems like forever since you watched the Green Bay Packers in a real football game you aren't alone. The last real game for the Packers came last January, against the Detroit Lions. However, the truth is, the Packers haven't really been the Packers since last October when Aaron Rodgers went down with his shoulder injury.

That injury derailed a perfectly promising season for Green Bay, one that would have certainly resulted in a playoff berth. Yet, it all came crashing to a halt after that. The defense fell apart and even though Brett Hundley kept Green Bay in the mix long enough for Rodgers to return, he really wasn't Aaron Rodgers then either and it's hard to blame him after a long layoff.

As disappointing as the end to last season was, Green Bay needed a change and it got one, both in the front office and at defensive coordinator.

Both were long overdue.

On the personnel side of the things, general manager Brian Gutekunst achieved a lot this offseason. He landed some key free agents such as Jimmy Graham, Muhammad Wilkerson and Tramon Williams, who will all start tonight against the Bears. Gutekunst also landed two exceptional corners in the draft, acquired a future first-round pick and got an extension done with Rodgers, keeping him in Green Bay until he's 40.

All in all, I'd say the new GM is off to a pretty good start. Tonight, we'll see about Mike Pettine and the Packers defense.

Whenever Green Bay and Chicago meet, it's a special affair. It's one of the oldest and best rivalries in professional sports and here is a look at why the Packers might win and why they might not.

Officially gameday in Green Bay.#CHIvsGB #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/9hJU4I96yw

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 9, 2018

Why Green Bay will win:

Of course, when Aaron Rodgers is under center, he is the best reason the Packers have a chance to win and against the Bears, Rodgers' chances of delivering a win are even better.

In 19 career starts against Chicago Rodgers is 15-4 with 42 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Two of those losses came in Chicago, one was in 2008 and the other was in 2010. Of the two losses in Green Bay, one was the game in which Rodgers got hurt. That was back in 2013. The other loss came in 2015 when Jay Cutler won his only game at Lambeau Field. Since September 2010, Rodgers has lost exactly one game to the Bears he has started and finished. He also has a 40-14 record as a starter in division games overall.

Outside of that, Rodgers has owned this series. It hasn't mattered much who the head coach was or the quarterback is and if he's in form tonight, the Bears really don't have a shot at winning this game. Much of the talk this week has been about the Bears' pass rush and their defense and rightfully so because if Rodgers has a big game tonight, Chicago will get left in the dust. A stout Chicago pass rush could be the only thing that prevents that from happening.

Another reason you can expect Green Bay to win tonight is the defense. I am nervous to see if Pettine can pass his first test but from what I've seen so far, he can. This defense is deep and talented in the secondary, especially at corner. The defensive line is stout and if Clay Matthews, as well as Nick Perry, can be productive on the edge, along with Reggie Gilbert, the Packers might really have something.

But up front, Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels and Wilkerson are going to be a lot to handle. If you want to know the strength of the defense this season, it's the defensive line and that's a good thing. The Packers interior pass rush might be the best in the NFL outside of the Rams and tonight, we will get our first real glimpse at just how effective that will be.

I also have a feeling that Tramon Williams is going to come up with an interception tonight or some kind of big play. It just feels like his kind of night to jump a route and making some special happen.

But while Rodgers is one reason the Packers will win, the defense is another. And on top of that, the third is the offensive line, which not only needs to protect Rodgers, it needs to open some running lanes for Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams, who I also think plays well tonight.

Last year, the Packers ran for 169 yards and 182 years in a sweep of the Bears. Williams ran 20 times for 67 yards and Montgomery ran six times for 54 yards and a touchdown in a late-season win in Chicago, which bodes well for each back tonight. With a healthy offensive line and two healthy backs, plus Rodgers under center, I expect another good day on the ground and a big day from the offense as a whole.

Football’s oldest rivalry is renewed Sunday night #CHIvsGB #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/tGcYFnQImU

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 9, 2018

Why the Bears might win:

There are a lot of reasons to be confident as a Packers fan tonight, with Rodgers being the biggest. However, the Bears do have a young, talented quarterback too and this is his first chance to really show he belongs. He went 4-8 as a starter last season and threw just seven touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. He had some moments though and there is no denying the talent in his right arm.

If the Bears are going to upset the Packers at Lambeau Field, they are going to need a couple of things to happen. For one, the defense is going to have to dominate. At least hold Rodgers and the Packers to around 20 points. If Green Bay gets close to 30, it's hard to see Chicago matching that. But with Jordan Howard running the ball and if Trubisky can play well, 20 something might be possible for the Bears, who also have a fancy new free-agent wideout in Allen Robinson.

Everyone wants to focus on Khalil Mack and it will be interesting to see what he can do. He certainly can't be in game shape but the pass rush is the Bears best hope of slowing Rodgers and the Packers, so expect him to play as much as possible. If Chicago can sack Rodgers him a few times, force a turnover or two, run the football effectively and if Trubisky can have a coming out party, Chicago could leave Green Bay with a win. Just know, that's a lot of if's.

What's more likely to happen is Aaron Rodgers get his 16th-career victory over the Bears and the Packers start the season 1-0.

__________________________

Chris is a sports journalist from Montana and has been blogging about the Packers since 2011. Chris has been a staff writer for CheeseheadTV since 2017 and looks forward to the day when Aaron Rodgers wins his second Super Bowl. Follow him @thepackersguru

NFL Categories:

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers