Welp, it’s Bear week, and regardless of the narrative of this Packers season, there’s one sentiment that will always ring true for Packer Nation
That’s right, the inferior football club to the south will make their way to Lambeau Field this Sunday, and the rivalry tension is at an all time high. With the Bears looking like one of the more elite teams in 2026, a struggling Packers squad will need to execute and fire on all cylinders to get the job done.
Hopefully some reinforcements will help, including help from Packers RB Pierre Strong Jr., who was signed to the active roster this week.
What We Got Aint Workin’
It’s pretty clear that between fumbles, injuries, and poor execution, the Packers running back by committee experiment has been a failure thus far. While Chris Brooks was never really intended to be a bell cow back, he at least brought some consistency and made a few splash plays before suffering an ankle injury that will likely keep him off the field Sunday.
Marshawn Lloyd Has Been Healthy, But Not Productive
We’ve finally gotten to see what Marshawn Lloyd looks like in the regular season after being on IR the past 2 years. Needless to say, fantasy football managers and Packers fans alike have not seen the breakout performance as predicted.
Take last Sunday against the Bucs, where he put up a highlight that went all around the league with his hurdle. It’s a great clip to put on the resume, unfortunately the stat sheet from the day tells a different story. He only tallied 13 yards on 7 carries, 12 of which came from that hurdle highlight reel play. That means on the other 6 carries he managed only 1 yard total.
Through 4 games, Lloyd has carried the ball 30 times for 81 yards, averaging just 2.7 yards per attempt. He also had a fumble during last Sunday’s game, leading to more doubt on his starting ability.
Lloyd has not shown the football IQ needed for a RB1 role In the NFL. He’s had poor gap recognition, and spends too much time dancing around trying to make a play instead of getting behind his pads, lowering his shoulders, and using the explosive speed we’ve all seen in offseason programs.
While a lackluster offensive line and poor play calling certainly hindered Lloyd’s ability to find a rhythm early in the season, last week saw a drastic improvement on the line, yet yielded the same production from Marshawn. There’s certainly time for him to turn it around, but it is getting harder to make the case for his role, given the standard set by Josh Jacobs in recent years.
Kaleb Johnson Showing Ability As Well As His Inexperience
I have been a fan of Kaleb Johnson since his signing with the Packers. Here’s an article I wrote back when he joined the squad in late August.
A Closer Look At Green Bay Packers New RB Kaleb Johnson
Kaleb has certainly shown flashes of the elite talent that was on display during his college days in Iowa. So far this season he’s tallied 80 yards on 20 carries for a 4.0-yard average. He has explosive speed and shows a lot of patience in letting a play develop.
Last Sunday against the Bucs, Johnson got his longest NFL career run, which doubled as the Packers longest run play this season on a 31 yard gain.
Unfortunately Johnson also had a brutal fumble near the goaline after that run, and while I do believe the Steelers held him back and never let him find a rhythm, it’s disheartening to see as he’s now had 2 fumbles so far in 2026, and ball security was a major factor in the Steelers parting ways with the former Hawkeye.
I fully expect Matt LaFleur to give him a chance to bounce back, and I hope he is able to get back to that explosive formula.
Enter Pierre Strong Jr.
Green Bay signed Pierre Strong Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster on Thursday, adding another option ahead of the divisional matchup. With Chris Brooks down, I expect to see Johnson and Lloyd take the bulk of the carries, however Matt LaFleur was quite clear on the consequences of putting the ball on the ground moving forward.
I would imagine even if Lloyd and Johnson are able to hang onto the ball, we will at least get to see Strong in rotation. He also brings some veteran presence to the backfield, filling in for vet RB Chris Brooks.
A 4th year back out of South Dakota State, Pierre Strong Jr. has appeared in 46 career NFL games with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. He has racked up 99 carries for 499 yards and 2 touchdowns. His career average of 5.0 yards per carry is an encouraging stat, not to mention what we all saw with our own eyes in the preseason. I certainly haven’t forgotten that 68-yard kickoff return against the Broncos in Week 2 of the preseason.
If nothing else Pierre Strong Jr. should get a shot just to see if anything develops. Do I realistically think he’s the missing link to the Packers run game success?
Probably not….
That being said, the Packers have also had newly acquired Guard, Kevin Zeitler taking reps with the 1’s during practice this week. I believe his presence should increase the opportunities for Strong to make his case for a larger role.
Packers Bears Final Thoughts
There’s no getting around it, even with backup Tyson Bagent under center the Bears are playing at a very high level right now. Their defense has shown it certainly has the means to stonewall a running attacked having only allowed 59 yards on the ground against the New York Jets in Week 4. They currently rank 13th overall against the run, allowing an average of 102.5 rushing yards per game from opposing offenses. They have allowed a rushing touchdown in 3 of their 4 games however, so it’s definitely not impossible to overcome.
The other bad news is their secondary currently ranks 3rd in the league against the pass. They’ve allowed an average of 179.8 yards per game, and their defense overall ranks 3rd against opposing quarterbacks. Here’s a full breakdown on the season so far.
| Metric | Stat / Value | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Pass Yards Allowed per Game | 179.8 yds | 3rd |
| Passing Touchdowns Allowed | 4 | T-1st / 3rd |
| Pass Completions / Attempts | 58 / 99 (58.6%) | — |
| Total Passing Yards Allowed (Season) | 776 yds | — |
| Sacks | 10 | 8th |
| Third-Down Defense Success Rate | 23.7% | 2nd |
| Scoring Defense | 16.2 pts/game | 4th |
Whether I’d like to admit it or not, the Bears pose a serious threat. The Packers I believe need Jordan to put this team on his back and get everyone on the same page, as unfortunately it doesn’t seem like their coaches have been able to accomplish that as of late. If they can just clean up the fundamentals, stop shooting themselves in the foot with penalties, and play 4 quarters of football executing at the ability we’ve seen them all to have, they definitely have a chance to walk out of Sunday with a win.
This Packers VS Bears Rivalry Is Real
If there was ever a time for the Packers to get back on track and make a statement, this it. Think of what a cinematic experience it would be to watch, especially after that defeat in the playoffs last season. The Packers have a chip on their shoulder, and I’ll leave it to Zaire Franklin to speak on the mindset going into this Sunday’s game.
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