The Green Bay Packers return to action after their bye and face the Chicago Bears on the road in an important NFC North clash. The Packers are 6-3 on the season while the Bears are 4-5. Green Bay lost to the Detroit Lions 24-14 before the bye. Meanwhile, the Bears fell to the New England Patriots 19-3 last week for their third straight loss. Here are the keys to victory for the Packers in their Week 11 matchup with the Chicago Bears.
The Packers lead the all-time series between these two teams 106-94-6 in the regular season. The two teams first met in 1921 when the Bears were known as the Chicago Staleys. The teams split their two playoff meetings with the last coming in the 2010 NFC Championship Game.
Here are the keys to victory for Sunday’s game in Chicago:
Packers Keys to Victory vs Bears, Number One: Take Advantage of the Bears Offensive Line
The Bears offensive line is dealing with significant injuries and probably won’t be back at full strength this Sunday. Add a rookie quarterback who is still learning to read NFL defenses, and you have a good chance of getting pressure on Caleb Williams and disrupting the offense.
Left guard Teven Jenkins didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday due to an ankle injury. Other members of the offensive line are also dealing with injuries although they may try to play.
Williams has been sacked 38 times in nine games and that’s despite the fact that he is a mobile quarterback who is capable of avoiding pressure.
The Packers are playing their first game since trading Preston Smith at the NFL trade deadline. Lukas Van Ness and Rashan Gary will now be the starting edge rushers.
If the front four can’t get immediate pressure, look for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to dial up some blitz packages and stunts which have confused the Bears offensive line and made things difficult for Williams.
Number Two: Establish the Running Game
The Packers rank third in the NFL, averaging 154.8 yards per game. The rushing game is led by Josh Jacobs who already has 762 yards on 158 carries. Jacobs excels at running between the tackles. Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks provide changes of pace.
Head coach Matt LaFleur also uses Jayden Reed and Bo Melton on jet sweeps and end arounds to mix things up.
The Bears run defense is vulnerable. They have allowed 133 yards per game on the ground which ranks them 24th in the NFL.
If the Packers can run the ball effectively, they can control the clock and keep the offense in second and third and manageable situations. This would give the offense many options when it comes to play calling and help reduce the Bears pass rush.
Packers Keys to Victory vs Bears, Number Three: Protect Jordan Love
The Bears defense is a solid unit, and their pass rush presently ranks 14th in the league with 24 sacks through nine games.
Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, Sr. leads the team with four sacks followed by Montez Sweat with 3.5. Sweat missed practice Wednesday with an ankle injury but was a limited participant on Thursday.
Jordan Love has been dealing with a groin injury and a suffered a knee injury earlier in the season. The Packers are hoping the bye week helped him get healthy. He may not be able to escape pressure as well as he does when he is fully healthy.
The Packers offensive line has done a good job in pass protection. Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker have been great at protecting the edge. It will be up Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan, and Josh Myers to protect the middle of the line of scrimmage.
Number Four: Contain DJ Moore
While the Bears passing game ranks near the bottom of the NFL with just 169.6 yards per game, they do have a dangerous receiver in DJ Moore. He leads the team with 40 catches and is tied for the club lead with three touchdown catches.
The Packers will have to slow down Moore and tight end Cole Kmet who can be a weapon in the middle of the field.
The Pack will likely match up Jaire Alexander against Moore or rookie Rome Odunze who is more of a deep threat.
The goal is to shut down the Bears passing attack and not let them accumulate much more than their season average in yards gained.
Packers Keys to Victory vs Bears, Number Five: Prepare for the Unexpected
The Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after their loss to the Patriots last week. The team has scored just 27 total points in their last three games. They promoted passing game coordinator Thomas Brown to be their new OC.
With the team’s offense struggling and Williams’ play regressing, Brown may just empty the playbook and try a lot of trick plays against the Packers. Whether it’s reverses, flea flickers, or other kinds of unusual plays, don’t be surprised to see the Bears try something to jump start their offense and show that a new era has started in Chicago.
As of now, the Bears offense has nothing to lose. The Packers cannot be surprised by these trick plays and be put off balance.
Number Six: Contain D’Andre Swift
The Bears running game has not been great this season. They average 108.1 yard per game which ranks them 24th in the NFL.
Chicago’s top runner is D’Andre Swift who has gained 564 yards and is averaging 4.0 yards per rush. The former Lions star has rarely excelled in games against the Packers. He’s never gained more than 37 yards in a game against Green Bay, but he’s also never carried the ball more than eight times.
The Packers will need to bottle up the Chicago running game to force the Bears into obvious passing situations. Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton, Javon Bullard, Quay Walker, and Edgerrin Cooper will be keys to slowing Swift and the running game.
Prediction:
The Bears are struggling offensively and they’re doubting themselves and may be losing faith in their coaching staff. The Packers seem to be playing the Bears at the right time.
The Packers are the better team on paper, and they should win this game unless they make mistakes and beat themselves.
Green Bay is healthy and needs a division win. They get one against their biggest traditional rivals.
Packers 27, Bears 17
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