In one of the greatest rivalries in NFL history, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears will play each other for the 200th time on Sunday.
In the historic matchup, both teams will have a lot at stake. The Packers need a win to maintain their NFC North lead over the Minnesota Vikings, and the Bears need a fourth straight win to remain in contention for the last wild card spot in the NFC.
A huge factor in the tilt will be the Chicago defense. They were able to hold the Packers to a measly 10 points in the Week 1 meeting between the two. A duplicate of that performance could be on tap in Week 15.
3. The Defense Records Three Interceptions
If coach Matt Nagy's defense can pull this one off, it will truly be an occasion to remember. Aaron Rodgers hasn't thrown three interceptions in a game since late in the 2017 season, making this a very bold prediction.
However, the Packers are coming off of a cold offensive performance against the Washington Redskins, one of the hardest teams to have any poor performance against.
Chicago's defense is riding the momentum of a big win against the Dallas Cowboys. It will benefit from the extra preparation they got from their mini-bye week (as they played on “Thursday Night Football”). Pulling off this feat against Rodgers would give the Bears a dominant upper hand.
2. Khalil Mack Has Over Two Sacks
This one is not nearly as bold as the last. Mack is quietly having another great season, having recorded 7.5 sacks and 46 total tackles.
Mack's sack count is lower than last year, but he's still having a massive impact on every game he plays. Watch the double-teams he receives.
The last time these teams met, Green Bay allowed five sacks. None of them came from Mack, as he received double-teams on almost every snap of the game. After the offensive line struggles to contain the supplementary pass-rushers, expect less attention paid to Mack and more to his teammates.
1. The Packers Rush For Less Than 100 Yards
It's a tough task for any team to hold any competition opponent below 100 rushing yards, but there's a reason to believe that this prediction isn't so bold. The Bears got defensive tackle Akiem Hicks back from injured reserve at the exact right time.
Hicks will make up for the absence of star linebacker Roquan Smith, who suffered a torn pectoral against the Cowboys. Backup linebacker Nick Kwiatkowski played well in Smith's absence, providing ample reason for confidence in the Chicago run defense.
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