The Chicago Bears look as advertised during Ben Johnson's first season as head coach. Chicago is 9-3 heading into Week 14 and looks like one of the NFL's best teams. The Bears are riding a five-game winning streak and will carry that momentum into a huge matchup against the Packers.
Chicago is now in sole possession of first place in the NFC North. They gained ground last week after defeating the Eagles and seeing the Panthers upset the Rams. They hold a slim half-game lead over the Packers, so naturally this game has big ramifications within the division regardless of the outcome.
If the Bears win, they'll improve to 10-3 and gain some significant ground on the Packers. Meanwhile, the Packers could retake the lead in the NFC North with a win.
This will be the first of two matchups between Green Bay and Chicago during the month of December. It is still a huge game, but their rematch on December 20th could be even more important for deciding the division title.
Can the Bears take care of business against the Packers? And if so, which players must step up and lead the charge?
Below we will explore three Bears bold predictions ahead of their crucial Week 14 clash with the Packers.
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Caleb Williams keeps pace with Jordan Love, but commits rare turnover
Williams deserves credit for playing his part in Chicago's offensive system.
The Bears have spent considerable time making sure that Williams keeps the offense in rhythm and does not play too much hero ball. Williams still uses his athleticism to break sacks pretty frequently. However, he's improved at keeping his eyes downfield and sticks to the scripted plan more often than he did in his rookie season.
Williams has not lit the world on fire during his sophomore season, but he's doing enough to consistently win games.
His stats look similar to his rookie season, with 2,722 passing yards for 17 touchdowns and five interceptions through 12 games.
Williams does not have to take his game to another level to compete with the Packers in Week 14. He simply needs to keep pace with Packers QB Jordan Love. And I think he can make it happen.
I'm predicting that Williams will have very similar passing stats to Love in this game. They will have within 25 passing yards of one another and throw the same number of touchdown passes.
But I'm also predicting that Williams will commit a rare turnover that could change the course of the game.
D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai combine for over 150 rushing yards
Ben Johnson's impressive running game made the trip from Detroit to Chicago with him.
The Bears have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL despite Swift and Monangai not exactly being household names. Chicago is averaging 153.8 rushing yards per game headed into Week 14. That is second in the NFL behind only the Buffalo Bills.
Johnson's clever play calls, paired with Chicago's much-improved offensive line, has worked out well for the Bears so far. They may need to lean on their running game once against to best the Packers.
The problem is that Green Bay has one of the better run defense units in the NFL. They will likely sell out to stop the running game, given their familiarity with Johnson from his days in Detroit.
The Bears could win this game without a strong running game, but I doubt they'll be willing to chance it.
I'm predicting that D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combine for over 150 rushing yards in Week 14. That's about average for the team, but I feel it is bold because of the matchup against Green Bay.
Chicago gives themselves a great chance to win if they can establish the run and dictate the pace of the game.
Bears defense forces two turnovers, beat Packers by a field goal
Chicago's defense has some shades of vintage Bears teams of old.
The Bears won't blow you away with many of their raw accounting stats. They allow plenty of yards in both the running and pass game, but where they really shine is turnovers.
Chicago leads the NFL with a whopping +17 turnover differential, the best in the league by a wide margin. The Bears have the most turnovers forced in the NFL (26), with 17 interceptions. That is a winning formula when Chicago can limit turnovers of their own on offense.
If the Bears want to come out on top in this one, they'll need some turnover magic. And I think they'll get it.
I'm predicting that Chicago forces at least two turnovers on defense, with at least one being an interception of Jordan Love.
If that happens, I see the Bears winning this game by a field goal.
