Bears vs. Packers Prediction: Rivalry time |
DATE/TIME: Sunday, Jan. 5, noon (CT) TELEVISION: FOX STREAMING: NFL+ (Chicago area only), Game Pass International (outside the U.S., Canada and China) BROADCASTERS: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (analyst), Laura Okmin (sideline)
RADIO: ESPN 1000 (AM 1000, 100.3 FM HD2), LATINO MIX 93.5 FM (Spanish), SiriusXM (Channels 382 & 805) STREAMING: NFL+ ESPN 1000 BROADCASTERS: Jeff Joniak (play-by-play), Tom Thayer (analyst), Jason McKie (sideline) LATINO MIX 93.5 FM BROADCASTERS: Omar Ramos (play-by-play), Mateo Moreno (analyst) We meet again pic.twitter.com/KizT4sC0Cc At long last, it's the regular season finale, and another miserable Chicago Bears season can come to an end. What was once viewed as the most promising offseason in Bears history has quickly turned into a nightmare as the Bears have lost 10 consecutive games to fall to 4-12. As bad as that is, it could get worse as the Bears not only have one game remaining, but it's a game against their most hated rival, the Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field. This is a team that has owned the Bears over the past 30 years, with Matt LaFleur taking that ownership to all-new heights. In his six seasons, he has gone 11-0 against the Bears. I don't care how good or bad an organization is. Anytime you go 11-0 against your biggest rival, it's impressive, as his sheer dominance against this team is almost laughable. A big reason for the Packers' dominance over the Bears was having Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers under center for nearly three decades. Seeing Jordan Love take over for them was supposed to be the changing of the guards in the Bears favor, but with Chicago 0-3 against Love their struggles continue. For them to pick up an upset and close out the season on a high note, it will take a near-perfect effort on both sides of the ball, which is asking a lot from any team. This team is not only broken but has no clear direction on where they will go from here, as Chicago will once again be looking for a new Head Coach this offseason. Here are some things to look for in the matchup:
As bad as things have gone this season, Caleb Williams has been one of the bright spots for this team. The No. 1 overall pick has proven to be a franchise-caliber QB and has already set plenty of rookie records along the way. That includes the most consecutive passes without an interception, which ended last week as Williams has shown the ability to protect the football far better than many expected. With the good comes the bad, which shouldn't shock you when discussing a rookie. The bad aspect of Williams' game is the number of sacks he has taken. Williams leads the NFL with 67 sacks. Part of that has to do with a horrendous offensive line, but Williams has shouldered some of the blame as he tends to hold on to the ball for too long. The 67 sacks taken is the third most in NFL history and is just five away from tying David Carr's record of 72 with the Houston Texans in 2002. Given how the Packers played against the Vikings last week, you could see that record get broken this weekend as they want to get after Williams as much as possible. It will be up to the Bears offensive line to hold up if they want to keep their man upright.
In last week's game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Green Bay Packers were coming off a 34-0 win against the New Orleans Saints and riding a four-game winning streak. They were also one of the hottest teams in the league overall and intended to continue their strong play against their rivals from the West. Instead, the Packers fell to the Vikings 27-25, and the game wasn't all that close. The Vikings were up 27-10 at one point before letting up in the fourth quarter. The loss moved the Packers to 0-5 against the Lions, Vikings, and Eagles, and had it not been for their blocked field goal against Chicago earlier in the season, they would be 0-5 in the NFC North. Let that sink in for a minute. When was the last time the Packers were 0-5 in the NFC North? This Packers team is now forced to play their starters this weekend as they hope to avoid Philadelphia in the first round. For that to happen, they need to beat Chicago and Washington to lose to Dallas as they no longer control their own destiny. This is a furious Packers team right now, and you never want to face an angry Packers team. Chicago better be ready to hit because the Packers will come out swinging in this one.
As bad as this season has gone from Chicago, you have to give credit where credit is due with this team. Apart from one, maybe two games this season where it did look like the team quit on their head coach, there has been no quit in this team as they continue to fight despite the poor results. You have seen that in most of their losses this season, where they dig themselves a massive hole only to battle back late to make things interesting. That type of fight is what you like to see out of a young group, and it is the building block that sets the tone for a winning franchise. Although the season was lost a long time ago, the Bears can put all that to rest with one win, and it would be a massive win should they find a way to upset the Packers on Sunday. If the team can't get up for this game, they don't belong in this organization, as this game means far more than any other game this season.
As nice as it would be for the Bears to end the season on a high note, it won't be easy this weekend. Had the Packers beat the Vikings to clinch the sixth seed, Green Bay would have been resting some of their starters, which could have made things far more interesting. With them currently sitting in the seventh seed, Green Bay has no choice but to play their starters as they hope to avoid the Eagles in the first round. The next question is how long the Packers play their starters, as there is a scenario where Green Bay could build a massive first-half lead in order to rest their guys late. Look for the Packers to continue their mastery against the Bears as they dominate the Bears 31-10 to close out the season.HOW TO WATCH
HOW TO LISTEN
Will Caleb Williams make more history?
An angry Green Bay squad
It's all about pride
Prediction: Bears lose 31-10 to Packers
