The Green Bay Packers may be going into the playoffs with a 4-game losing streak, but they are breathing easier as they prepare for their Wild Card game against the Bears.
That's because the Philadelphia Eagles gave away the final game of the season and lost to the Washington Commanders. If the Eagles had won that game, the Packers would be going to Philadelphia to play the defending Super Bowl champions. Instead, they are going to Soldier Field. They will play a team they have dominated for more than 3 decades.
The Packers split the season series with the Packers, but the 22-16 loss in Week 16 was a miracle — from the Bears' perspective. Chicago got the lucky bounce it needed to recover an onside kick after trailing by 10 points with 2 minutes to go. The Bears won in overtime, but it was one of those finishes that will be very difficult to repeat. The Packers have the opponent they wanted and now they have to show the rest of the league that they know how to handle Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams and the Bears.
Not that beating this year's version of the Bears is going to be easy. The Bears won the NFC North title — even though they lost their last two games — and have demonstrated the ability to play well when the game is in the fourth quarter. They have played particularly well in the final minutes, registering late victories over the Bengals, Giants, Vikings and Packers. They also held on to a late lead to beat the Steelers.
The biggest issue in this game is that the playoffs are a new season. The Packers should be healthy and they will have Jordan Love back in the lineup.
Love will throw for 250-plus yards and 2 touchdowns
The Packers will have their QB1 under center against the Bears when the two teams meet at Soldier Field Saturday night. Love (concussion) was healthy enough to play in the regular season finale against the Vikings, but head coach Matt LaFleur did not want him to play in a meaningless game.
He did not want to risk Love's health or that of several other players. By playing untested Clayton Tune in that game, it was clear the only thing he wanted to do was to keep many of his key players healthy. The return of Love and backup Malik Willis (shoulder) will allow the Packers offense to attack at full speed.
Love completed 291 of 439 passes for 3,381 yards with 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He has the mobility to get away from the pass rush and also make plays with his legs. Love gained 199 rushing yards on 47 carries and 14 of his scrambles resulted in Green Bay first downs.
He has a solid crew of receivers that includes Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Doubs led the Packers in receiving with 55 catches for 724 yards and 6 touchdowns and he can make the tough catch on 3rd-down plays. However, Watson is his big-play man because he has game-changing speed that will likely be too much for a Chicago secondary that got torn up by the 49ers and Lions the last two weeks.
Watson could be ready for a big day after catching 35-611-6 during the regular season
The Packers also have a pair of speedy receivers in rookie Matthew Golden and Jayden Reed, but Green Bay offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich indicated that Golden is more of a future weapon than he will be in the playoffs. Perhaps that is some form of subterfuge.
Josh Jacobs will run for 75-plus yards and 1 TD
Josh Jacobs was held out of the season finale against the Vikings and he should be healthy for this game. He can be a dominant running back when he is healthy, but he has taken quite a bit of punishment throughout his 7-year career.
Jacobs ran for 929 yards on 234 carries in 15 games this season and he pounded the ball into the end zone 13 times. However, he was not as productive as he was in 2024 when he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 scores while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Jacobs is also a consistent safety valve receiver, catching 36 passes in each of the last 2 years.
The Packers should be able to take advantage of the Bears' 27th-ranked run defense that allows 134.5 yards per game.
Packers will do enough to overcome Bears and Williams
Williams has demonstrated the ability to play his best football when the game is on the line in the late stages of the 4th quarter. That was on display in Week 16 when the Bears rallied late and defeated the Packers in overtime. Williams excels at getting away from the pass rush and making plays with his legs. He also has the arm strength to throw the deep sideline pass or go over the top of the defense.
However, his overall accuracy is questionable and defensive backs like Evan Williams, Xavier McKinney, Isaiah McDuffie and Keisean Nixon may be prevent key completions.
The Packers have enough weapons to win this playoff road game, but the key is to have enough of an edge on the scoreboard late in the game that Williams will not be able to work his magic.
Green Bay survives and advances to the divisional round of the playoffs and a date with the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks.
