The Chicago Bears will play host to the Green Bay Packers Sunday afternoon, looking to secure a place in the NFL Playoffs. Currently, in the midst of a three-game winning streak, a victory over their long-time division rivals would not only ensure that their season continues but represent the completion of one of the biggest mid-season turnarounds in recent history. While the Packers have already punched their ticket to the postseason, the club will similarly need a win, or a Saints loss, to earn the number one seed in the NFC, making it likely that Green Bay will field their full roster.
Always a marquee event given their storied history together, the Bears and Packers game will represent one of the most consequential matches of the NFL season. With the end of the regular season hours away, here are our four bold predictions for the Chicago Bears as they take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 17.
1. Bears earn four sacks on Aaron Rodgers
Since enduring a 38-10 drubbing at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in mid-October, the Packers have been on a roll. The Bears know this.
Paced by an offensive unit that has scored 30 points or more in all but three games, Green Bay has earned an 8-2 mark over their past 10 contests while rising to the top of the conference standings. With Aaron Rodgers turning in another MVP-caliber season, the Packers have built one of the most versatile scoring units in the NFL. Ranked eighth and ninth respectively in rushing and passing yards per game, Green Bay excels at utilizing their running attack to soften defenses upfront before Rodgers delivers the killing blow with a deep pass. Even when they struggle to stretch the field, the Packers rarely provide opponents such as the Bears with extra opportunities, carrying a plus-six turnover differential, and leading the league in time of possession, thanks to an insane average of 176 rushing yards per game since Week 12.
If Chicago is going to overcome the Packers on the way to playoffs, the Bears are going to need to force Green Bay to play on their terms. Specifically, Chuck Pagano and company are going to need to find a way to get the quarterback.
Working without the fulcrum of their offensive line in David Bakhtiari–who will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL–Green Bay will likely be forced to ask Rodgers to make quicker reads than he has all season. While the All-Pro playcaller is almost certainly up the task, the need to get the ball out quickly before the pocket collapses on his blind side will limit the margin of error Rodgers has enjoyed for most of the year. Should he experience any difficulty however, the Bears will be primed to take advantage.
Though the Bears have struggled to gain consistent pressure, there's a decent argument to be made that the lack of production from their unit upfront has been the result of bad luck, rather than a lack of talent. For a group that features Khalil Mack, and Robert Quinn, chances are that the numbers will eventually revert to the mean. Though there's only one game left in the season, there's no better time for the Bears to start returning to form.
2. David Montgomery runs for 125 yards and two scores
Just as the Packers have been led by their running attack, so too have the Bears reinvented themselves around the talents of their halfbacks. Playing in only his second year in the pros, the product out of Iowa State has been the focal point of Chicago's second half burst, accumulating over 1,000 rushing yards in only 224 attempts. While he has not put up the type of production in the passing game as many believed he would, Montgomery can still serve as an emergency release valve for Mitch Trubisky, racking up over 300 receiving yards, and catching over 76% of his targets.
Though Trubisky has generated more headlines than Montgomery in recent weeks, it would be a mistake to view the quarterback as the most important player on the scoring unit. Surprising though his play may be–especially considering the lows from which he's recovered from–Montgomery is the engine that has allowed Bears' offense to thrive, and the threat that has provided the QB time to operate. Facing a must win situation, Montgomery will have saved his best, for last.
3. Mitchell Trubisky has only one turnover
Admitedly predicting that the QB would avoid a turnover altogether seemed a bit too bold, even for our bold predictions. Having only had a single game this season in which he did not give the ball away–and only three over the last two years–Trubisky has earned every bit of his reputation with the Bears as an erratic play-caller. Which isn't meant to take away how genuinely good he has looked at times since regaining his position in the starting lineup.
Operating behind a renewed offensive line–and aforementioned David Montgomery–Trubisky has completed 72% of his passes while helping lead the Bears to a 3-1 record down the stretch. Though the passing routes have been simplified, the former top prospect has looked better anticipating the defense, and recognizing when he should tuck the ball away, rather than risking a throw into coverage. While the Bears' red zone offense can still be prone to issues with Trubisky under center, the quarterback has shown genuine growth in his abilities.
With the Bears expected to undergo a full organizational review in the offseason, including at the QB position, Mitch Trubisky has reinserted himself into the conversation as the quarterback of the future.
While we have no idea if that's good news or bad news for Bears fan, in the moment, it'll have to do.
4. The Bears win to earn a playoff berth… and get the No. 6 seed.
While tabulating different playoff scenarios can often get complicated, for the Chicago Bears the process couldn't be simpler: win, and you get to keep playing.
Facing a Green Bay Packers team without one of their key players, and playing with far less urgency than that of the Bears should provide a perfect opportunity for Chicago to avenge their earlier loss to Aaron Rodgers and company. Though they need no additional help qualifying for the playoffs, the Bears will need an Arizona win over Los Angeles to move up a spot in the conference standings to the 6th seed; a scenario ESPN gives only a 13% chance of occurring.
While the likelihood of a Cardinals victory over the Rams is another topic, our (proverbial) money is on the Bears concluding their regular season in possession of the sixth-overall seed and preparing to face the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round.
Follow Us
Subscribe