It’s rivalry week! The Green Bay Packers vs the Chicago Bears! Is there any more intense matchup throughout the season? There is nothing bigger than beating the Bears. No matter what happens, the Packers must beat the Bears. There is a little more at stake this early in the season between the two teams. The winner of this game will be the leader in the NFC North after 6 weeks. Our game preview provides you with everything you need to know about this weeks matchup.

Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

  • When: Sunday, October 17 at 12:00pm CST
  • Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
  • TV: Fox
  • Broadcasters: Joe Davis (play-by-play), Greg Olsen (analyst) and Pam Oliver (sideline)
  • Spread: Packers -6
  • Last Meeting: January 3, 2021; Packers 35 Bears 16
  • Latest History: The Packers have won 10 out of the last 12 meetings between the two teams

Game Preview: 3 Things to Watch

Packers Defense vs Justin Fields

A scrambling quarterback against the Packers defense haunts me. Based on the franchise’s history, the Packers have gotten beat plenty of times against a scrambling quarterback. The Bears rookie quarterback, Justin Fields, is a scrambling quarterback that can hurt defenses with his legs. Fields can definitely make plays with his legs. So far, Fields has not been a scrambling threat as he only has 59 yards rushing. But, that doesn’t mean he isn’t a threat to run against this Packers defense. Through their first five games of the season, the Packers have given up 94 yards on scrambles to quarterbacks. If they do not be careful, Fields could show off that athleticism.

Packers Rush Defense

The Chicago Bears backfield is very depleted at the moment. But, that doesn’t mean that the Packers should sleep on the Bears rushing attack. The Bears are actually ranked 9th in the league with 126.8 yards rushing per game, which is impressive considering they have had several disappointing performances running the ball. The Bears rushing attack will be lead by rookie Khalil Herbert. He is a strong one-cut back with good vision. Last week, he had 18 rushes for 75 yards and found a lot of his success on zone runs, where is could make his cuts. The Packers edge rushers are going to have to keep containment and their linebackers cannot overrun their lines, otherwise the cutbacks will be wide open. This will be another interesting chess match to watch.

Packers Offensive Line vs Khalil Mack

Khalil Mack is still a force and can disrupt an offenses flow. Through the first five games of the season, Mack has 5 sacks. Now, Mack is listed as questionable for the matchup this Sunday, as he has a lingering foot injury and has not practiced all week. Bears head coach, Matt Nagy, has said that Mack could play even though he hasn’t practiced. The Packers offensive line is young but has held their own the past couple of weeks, but this is Khalil Mack. If he plays, there will be questions as to how effective he will be and how the Bears will utilize him with his foot injury. Either way, the Packers will have to be prepared for the Bears pass rusher. They line needs to continue to keep Rodgers upright and provide him with a clean pocket. There is a chance Mack will be ruled out, so something to watch before the game.

Final Analysis

This is Packers vs Bears, where anything can happen. This is a big game at Soldier Field. A Bears victory puts them in a tie with the Packers and gives them the leg up on top of the division. A Packers victory will give them a 2 game lead in the division, just six weeks into the season. That would be huge for Green Bay. The Bears have won two straight games and seem to have found their stride. I belief that Packers are the more talented team here and should be able to control the clock. The Bears defense will but up a tough fight but the Packers should come away victorious.

Go Pack Go!

Anthony Haag is a writer for PackersTalk.com. He has been a Packers fan since the day he was born and truly bleeds green and gold. He makes annual visits to Lambeau Field and has attended his fair share of games. You can follow Anthony on Twitter at @anthony_haag