This is a new year and a new season; the days of the Green Bay Packers being light years ahead of the Chicago Bears are gone. In fact, the Bears may have an advantage at a lot of positions in this matchup. Many think this is the game the Bears and Caleb Williams will prove to be the fraudulent team many think they are. This could also be the game where the Bears take back charge of this rivalry.

Here is my analysis of how the Bears stack up against the Green Bay Packers at every position:

Quarterback

Jordan Love has obviously been the better quarterback this season, and his best performance clears what Caleb Williams has done this season at his best. Their total numbers are not that far away; Jordan Love has just been more consistent this season. When Jordan Love has been bad, he has lost his team the game; when Caleb has been bad, he hasn’t lost his team the game. I would still lean towards Jordan Love being the better quarterback, but who knows? At the end of the season, I could be singing a different tune. Caleb Williams is not that far away from being the best quarterback in the league. He definitely has the highest ceiling in the division. It will be interesting to see what the conversation is if Caleb runs the table these next few games.

Running back

Josh Jacobs is one of the top backs in the league, but one could argue that the Packers do not use him to the level that they should. He has not nearly been as productive as he should be this season; he currently ranks 18th in rushing yards with 731 yards. Jacobs has yet to have a game with 100 yards rushing this season. That is due to playcalling by Matt Lafleur and Jacobs not being healthy, along with his own execution. Jacobs might be the better back in this game with all things considered, but I would rather have Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift in this matchup, two running backs that have both been extremely productive while sharing carries. Monangai and Swift both have been great complements to each other and individually have had more than 100-yard rushing performances than Josh Jacobs this season. Last week even both running backs had 100 yards rushing each versus the Eagles. I would give the edge to the Bears’ backfield in this matchup.

Playmakers

Both skill position groups on offense have talent, yet neither has its clear, undisputed number 1 option at receiver. Tucker Kraft was the guy in Green Bay, but without him now, this is more of a committee full of second options. The Bears will be without Rome Odunze in this game, but I would take their weapons over Green Bay. D.J. Moore has been a consistent 1000-yard receiver in the league already, Colston Loveland is the best tight end in the NFC North right now as it stands, and Luther Burden has shown that when he gets an opportunity, he is good for at least 40 yards receiving. Even Cole Kmet, the Bears’ now backup tight end, would be a top target for the Packers right now. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks are not guys you can rely on consistently. With the Bears’ secondary being healthier, the Packers’ playmakers in this game will have a lesser day, while I expect big games from D.J. Moore and Colston Loveland.

The Trenches

The Packers’ defensive line has one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league right now in Micah Parsons, along with a perfect Robin in Rashan Gary. Even though they lost Devonte Wyatt for the rest of the season, the Packers still have quality players in the interior. I would give them the edge over the Bears in that category. Although Montez Sweat has been great with his 7.5 sacks on the season, the Bears are still way away from being as dominant as the Packers on the defensive line. As it stands, comparing the two offensive lines between both teams, the Bears have the clearly better unit. It is crazy to say that after last year, when the Bears gave up 68 sacks. This year has been a full 360, and the Bears’ offensive line has single-handedly won them games this season. Against the Eagles, the Bears’ offensive line got the game ball, and deservingly so; you don’t have two running backs run for 100 yards each if there is not pure dominance in the trenches by the offensive line. The Bears have a great argument to be the best offensive line in football. The Packers, on the other hand, are missing their top offensive linemen, Elton Jenkins, which could open room for the Bears to get after Jordan Love. It will be great to see how successful the Packers’ defensive line can be against the Bears’ unit.

Linebackers

The Bears for this game will be getting reinforcements back at the linebacker position with starters T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell returning to action. They are still without Tremaine Edmunds, who was playing like an All-Pro. Given that fact, I will give the edge to the Packers’ linebacker group that features Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper. Both linebackers have been great all year, and that is the prime reason the Packers are so good against the run. Cooper and Walker both have around 84 tackles on the season so far.

Secondary

The secondary for the Packers has been really good this season, not giving up to much. Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney have been ballhawks this season, both posting at least 2 interceptions this season. The Bears have the better unit still, as Nahshon Wright has ascended to being an All-Pro corner, and Kevin Byard is playing like he is back in his prime. Byard leads the NFL with 6 interceptions, and Nahshon Wright is right behind him with 5. Those two have kept this Bears defense afloat as the Bears have dealt with many injuries on defense all season long. The Bears now have their two best corners, Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson, healthy, making for an elite secondary. I would take the Bears’ secondary over Green Bay’s solid unit.

Special teams

The Bears’ special teams unit started the season off slowly and was not playing to the standard of what this team would hope for. As of late, this unit has really come along well. The special teams unit for the Bears won the game versus Minnesota. The last time these two teams matched up, coach Richard Hightower cooked up the play of the game in a punt return for a touchdown by Josh Blackwell. The Bears also won that game with a Cairo Santos field goal. Whichever team has the better special teams play in this game could very well win this one once again. I think the Bears will be that team, and I think coach Hightower will cook up another special teams trick play, maybe even a fake field goal to give the Bears extra momentum.

Coaching

Matt Lafleur deserves his flowers; he has consistently had this Packers team in contention and done the most with what he has been given. The Packers did not fall out of relevance once Aaron Rodgers left; this still has been a team to watch out for in the NFC. He still is one of the best offensive minds in the NFL. Ben Johnson has created a name for himself even further this season, but it is games like this where he will have to prove himself. It is too early to say Ben Johnson is better than Matt Lafleur, but with the year he is having, it won’t be long before that conversation can be had.