Take Packers To Do What They Always Do To Bears

Bears vs. Packers, 3:30 ET

When the NFL expanded the season to add an extra game, I feel like they also tried to make sure the division or rival battles would take place in the last week of the season. I'm all for rivalry games and ones that matter. This is how the schedules should be made. Bears and Packers fans have had to wait all season to get the second round of this matchup.

The Bears are not the same team that they were in the first week of the season when the Packers handed them a 38-20 loss. I won't say they are some sort of juggernaut or something, but they are a better football team. Justin Fields looks great lately and if you watched last week's game the city of Chicago sent a message to the front office basically saying they want to keep Fields and take something else with the #1 pick the Bears will receive from the Panthers in this year's draft. A win over the Packers would further solidify that desire from the fan base to keep Fields. Most Chicagoans only care about beating the Packers anyway. This won't be easy as the Bears need to travel to Green Bay to get the win. On the season, they only have two wins on the road. Their defense, which was getting crushed by everyone, has improved and they've held opponents to no more than 20 points in six of their past seven games.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 15: Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears reacts prior to a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on October 15, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

The Packers still have a lot to play for. If they win they should make the playoffs. They will end the season with a winning record if they can beat the Bears. That is significant, but not the biggest deal in the world - at least not as important as the playoffs. They made things significantly harder on themselves with a loss to the Giants in New York. This is the hardest part of watching the Packers - one week they beat Kansas City, and the next they fall to the Giants. Jordan Love has played very well over the past two weeks, but Aaron Jones running like he used to also is making a big difference. The Packers have only had two games this season with 100+ yard rusher and both of them have been Jones and both are in the past two weeks. The Bears aren't terrible against the run, but Jones resurgence should make it hard for Chicago to slow down the entire Packers offense.

I can tell you the Bears would love nothing more than to eliminate the Packers from the playoffs. Handing them a loss after all these years of being dominated would thrill the entire fan base. Beating the Packers in Green Bay is something that is a challenge for even the best teams. I know the Bears are playing better, but they have also found ways to lose games this year. I'll take the Packers -3 in this one.

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