The Chicago Bears look to beat the Green Bay Packers for the first time since 2018 when they host their NFC North opener on Sunday at Soldier Field.
The Bears (4-5) are coming off a week of turmoil at Halas Hall following the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and the promotion of Thomas Brown. The Packers (6-3) are coming off their bye week with key players healthy for the big meeting.
As kick-off approaches, here’s a quick look at the match.
Player in the spotlight
Jordan love
He’s always the Packers’ quarterback in the spotlight against the Bears, right?
After Aaron Rodgers went 25-5 in his career against the Bears, his successor Love won his first two games last season to extend the Packers’ winning streak to 10 in the division. Love completed 71.2% of his passes for 561 yards with five touchdowns, no interceptions, two sacks and a 129.3 passer rating in those two games.
Love’s season was hampered by injuries, as he first sprained the MCL in his left knee in Week 1 and then suffered a groin injury in Week 8. His results, especially compared to the excellent end to the 2023 season, have suffered in the aftermath. He has thrown 15 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in seven games.
But Love wasn’t limited to practices this week, which suggests he’s on the mend — and looking for better.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson missed the season finale against the Packers last season with a shoulder injury, so he didn’t play against Love after the quarterback returned to form — with 18 touchdowns and just one interception over the last eight games. But he knows how important stopping Love and the Packers is for Chicago, because it will be the same for him.
“We’ve been getting hyped for a long time now,” Johnson said. “I didn’t get a win (over Green Bay), so that would mean a lot to me personally. I’m just looking forward to the game, again, the competition in itself, but they’ve got some good guys. I have a lot of respect for coach and what he does on that side of the ball.” “I’m looking forward to it.”
Burning question Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown jumps across the field during practice at Halas Hall on Nov. 13, 2024, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Will Thomas Brown’s promotion help revive the Bears’ offense?
The big news in Lake Forest this week, of course, is that the Bears fired Waldron and promoted Brown in an attempt to spark an offense that ranks 30th with 277.7 yards per game and has not scored a touchdown on 23 drives.
It’s been a hectic week for coaches and players alike as they try to adjust to the fast-paced action while preparing for the Packers.
“It’s rough, it’s rough. You’ve got to go fast,” running back DeAndre Swift said. “But that’s the kind of cards we’re dealt. So, we are all for TB, and we have to move forward.”
The Chicago Bears are counting on the “juice” and “energy” of new OC Thomas Brown to help save their season. No pressure, right?
Brown, who also took over for the Carolina Panthers midseason in 2023, echoed quarterback Caleb Williams’ words on Sunday that he’s not out to “reinvent the wheel” when he takes over. But coach Matt Eberflus said he is looking for more creativity from Brown, along with better communication and in-game adjustments.
“It’s about being able to try to find the best way to be effective with our playmakers,” Brown said. “Being able to mirror what we do from a formation and movement standpoint. Everything for me starts on offense, starts with the run game, how we attack. The mentality of moving forward, we will build that.
Brown was a running back at Georgia and had stints in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns. He was a running backs coach with the Los Angeles Rams before moving to coaching tight ends. Now he’s looking to bolster a Bears run game that hasn’t been as consistently successful as hoped.
“He definitely knows the game from that side,” Swift said. “He’s been around for a long time. He’s got a lot of good insight into different things playing that position, and I’d say just generally playing in the league helps.”
WATCH… Packers running back Josh Jacobs rushes past Colts safety Rodney Thomas II on Sept. 15, 2024 in Green Bay. (Matt Luedtke/AP)
The Bears run the defense
The Packers have had the advantage up the middle every time they’ve played the Bears since Matt LaFleur took over in 2019, but they’ve leaned heavily into the running game to win four times in their 10-game winning streak in the series, rushing for 203, 182 and 175 and 154 yards.
Green Bay enters with the league’s third-ranked rushing attack (154.8 yards per game), and free agent signing Josh Jacobs ranks fourth with 762 yards, the most by a Packers running back nine games since Ahman Green had 864 yards in 2004. .
“This offense starts with Jacobs, who is a very, very physical runner,” Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “He looks quicker and quicker this year than last year. Looks more dynamic. He breaks a lot of tackles. They do a great job of opening up gaps for him, and his ability to get downhill really sets up…the offense playing with Jordan Love.”
The Packers have racked up more than 160 yards on the ground in five games this season, and with Andrew Billings out on defense, it would be surprising if LaFleur doesn’t try to attack the middle of the Bears’ defense, perhaps among the 13 as he forces them to defend with nickel personnel. The defense was good at defending the run in a 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots with Billings out (torn pectoral muscle) for the first time. The Patriots racked up 144 yards on 35 carries but didn’t get the explosive plays that plagued the defense earlier this season. The Bears’ defense ranks 24th, allowing 133 yards per game.
“We played one game without (Billings),” Washington said. “So the fight and what Byron Cowart was able to do (against New England), I was really happy with that. There are some areas we can improve. But like I mentioned before, you’re not replacing Andrew. Certainly some things that stood out in last week’s game She was very encouraging and we just have to keep working.
Sack attack, again Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is sacked by Patriots defensive tackle Keion White, left, and safety Brenden Schooler in the third quarter on Nov. 10, 2024, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The number of sacks Williams has taken over the last two games is a glaring concern. The Arizona Cardinals had six sacks in Week 9, and the Patriots had nine — one of a Bears franchise record — last week.
Some of that was due to turmoil on the offensive line, which missed tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright due to knee injuries last week. Both are set to return this week to help Williams settle in.
But Bears coaches acknowledged that Williams has work to do to get the ball out more quickly. Quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph said he encourages Williams to be aggressive and smart with his throwing decisions.
“It’s rhythm, timing, getting the ball out of our hands and into the playmakers’ hands,” Joseph said. “If No. 1’s open, let’s get it to him. When we do that now, those plays become unbreakable. Because the ball is out of our hands. We just keep talking about that, keep talking about getting our eyes in the right place, understanding what they’re trying to do defensively.” Then we can get the ball out.”
The Packers have a top-15 defense in several categories, including 14th with a sack rate of 7.8%.
Injury Report Bears guard Tevin Jenkins is examined by medical staff during a game against the Patriots on Nov. 10, 2024 at Soldier Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
While the Bears will welcome Jones and Wright back to the offensive line, left guard Tevin Jenkins has been ruled out of Sunday’s game due to a right ankle injury suffered in last weekend’s loss. It’s another unfortunate setback in a contract year for Jenkins, who is set to record a ‘DNP’ for the 21st time in his four-year career. Jenkins played every offensive snap for the Bears just 19 times.
In Jenkins’ absence, Ryan Pitts will get the starting nod.
Defensively, edge rusher Montez (ankle) was listed as questionable on Sunday. Epifluus expressed optimism that the race will start against the Packers. But the bigger question is whether Sweat’s injury will significantly limit his production.
Sweat was inactive with a shin issue two weeks ago when the Bears lost to the Cardinals. Last week, he had minimal impact against the Patriots as he played 29 of the defense’s 64 snaps.
Others listed on the final injury report: offensive tackle Kiram Amjadji (out, calf) and defensive back Tarvarius Moore (questionable, concussion).
Brad Biggs Predictions (5-4)
The return of offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, combined with an emphasis on getting the ball out of Caleb Williams’ hands faster, should take some pressure off the rookie quarterback. The Bears are in deep trouble, having had 23 offensive possessions without a touchdown, and it will likely be difficult to assess the first game under rookie Thomas Brown how much that can actually change with nearly half a season remaining. As much as they focus on offense, the Bears will be busy defending Green Bay’s third-ranked rushing attack (154.8 yards per game). The Packers, who have won 10 straight games in the series, have pounded the ball under coach Matt LaFleur in several meetings with the Bears, and it appears that may be their plan again.
Packers 27, Bears 17
Colin Keane (5-4)
The Bears offense brings something unknown to this meeting as new coordinator Thomas Brown takes over. But the unit has had too much trouble in recent weeks to assume that a new leadership voice could make a difference within days for quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears have had some kind of drama to deal with for more weeks than others this season, and that should weigh heavily on the players’ minds. Maybe Brown will help calm the waters. But given the Packers’ dominance over the competition and the way things have gone during this three-game losing streak, turning the Bears around this week would be a miracle on the lakefront.
Packers 24, Bears 17
Dan Federer (5-4)
The offensive coordinator change from Shane Waldron to Thomas Brown is this week’s big unknown. And the Bears defense should be able to keep this game within reach, especially with Jordan Love’s interception issues this season. However, choosing the Bears to beat the Packers for the first time in six years after this week’s upset and after what they’ve shown over the past three games will require a huge leap of faith.
Packers 22, Bears 10
Originally Posted: November 15, 2024 at 3:31 PM CST
