It is time for the most fierce and greatest rivalry in the NFL. On Sunday 18th September 2022, the two mammoths from the NFC North will collide at Lambeau Field at the home of the Green Bay Packers. The match will also be live streamed on Peacock and NBC sports app.
This will be their 205th game between these rivals, and the Packers are leading the head-to-head record with 103 wins. However, the Chicago Bears are coming off a win against the 49ers in their opening game. It was an unexpected result as the 49ers entered the game as the favorites as per the NFL odds.
What happened in their opening games?
The Bears won with a final score of 19-10. Justin Fields had a good day overall, throwing for two touchdowns with one interception. Dante Pettis hauled in a 51 yard touchdown and St. Brown an 18 yard touchdown. It was a dream start for the Bears, and this will boost their confidence.
Further, it was a morale booster for the new head coach Matt Eberfius and general manager Ryan Poles, who both joined the Bears early this year.
On the other hand, the Packers had an upset defeat at home at the hands of Minnesota. This could be a wake-up call for the Packers as they will need to learn to play without wide receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the Raiders.
It was a humiliating loss with a score of 23-7. Even Aaron Rodgers could not save them. He struggled throughout the game and had no touchdowns and just two turnovers. This is his 18th NFL season, and being a four-time NFL MVP, Aaron has a massive responsibility.
Allen Lazard was out because of an ankle injury, but Christian Watson and Sammy Watkins, along with AJ Dillon, stepped up and played their part. It will be interesting to see how they respond this Sunday.
So, who is going in as the favorite and has the best odds of winning? Well, despite the win, the Bears will start the match as the underdogs. The home advantage and the overall winning record of the Packers favor them to win.
What to expect?
The match between the Bear and the Packers is always a thrilling contest. There have been many close games that have gone down to the wire.
Let’s review some of their best matches. Who knows, this could be the preview of the upcoming contest.
1961
The Green Bay Packers were cruising to the divisional championship, and at that time, they were up by one game only against the Bears. The Bears were the only team that could spoil their run for the title.
When they both met in the home of Chicago, the Packers took the lead of 31-7. What looked like to be an easy win, the Bears made one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history and closed the gap to 31-28. Although the Packers came out victorious, it was a great fight back from the Bears.
1989
It was one of the most controversial games in the NFL. In the closing seconds, the Bears were leading the game. QB Don Majkowski squeezed outside the field and passed the ball to Sterling Sharpe for the game-winning touchdown. The officials ruled against the touchdown, resulting in a victory for the Bears.
But that was not the case. As the Bears were celebrating, the officials used the instant video reply to review the pass. There was a long delay in the decision, and eventually, the officials concluded Majkowski was behind the scrimmage line while passing, and the play was fair, hence the touchdown. In the most unconventional way, the Packers won by the skin of their teeth.
To conclude, anything is possible in the Bears and the Packers contest. You cannot write off any team until the last whistle.
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Jersey Al Bracco is the co-founder and editor of PackersTalk.com. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and you can follow him on twitter at @JerseyAlGBP.
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