A little less than two weeks ago, the Bears put up a valiant effort against the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field but came up short. We all know that this is the NFL and there are no moral victories, but the way the team performed was certainly a confidence booster to know what level this team can play as it heads towards the playoffs.
The Packers are back; this time, it’ll be at Soldier Field in Chicago. The winner of this game will be sitting in first place in the NFC North, so with so much on the line, we sat down with Justis Mosqueda from Acme Packing Company (SB Nation’s Green Bay Packers site) to get the Packers’ perspective heading into this game.
1. We have to start with Micah Parsons. Do you think this ends the Packers’ Super Bowl hopes?
I’m going to be honest: It’s never been more over.
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There are still games to be played (we would need some help from others to miss the postseason even if we lose out), but expectations have certainly shifted with the fan base. The staff is saying all the right things, but it’s just tough to imagine the team overcoming season-ending injuries with tight end Tucker Kraft, center Elgton Jenkins, Parsons and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt…and then going on a four-game run in the postseason…all while Josh Jacobs is dealing with a nagging knee injury and there being other injuries on the roster, too.
If there is a Super Bowl to be won (DOUBT), Packers fans are going to have to see it unfold on a game-by-game basis. I don’t think anyone believes they actually have a solid chance to get it done with how the roster is set right now.
2. How do you think the defense will perform without Parsons?
Jeff Hafley will probably change the defense’s structure up a little bit and go back to what they were doing in 2024, when the team was blitzing and disguising a lot more. This year, the Packers have mostly only sent four pass rushers because teams were getting the ball out quickly. Without Parsons, opposing offenses should hold onto the ball a little longer.
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The combination of Parsons and Wyatt being out, along with Lukas Van Ness dealing with a lingering foot issue, really hurts their pass-rush. Those are their three best pressure players, as Rashan Gary has seemingly fallen off a cliff, despite recording some clean-up sacks. It’s a tough scene.
3. Anytime I check in on Packers Twitter, they seem to be in a love/hate relationship with Matt LaFleur. How do fans think he’s done navigating this season?
Well, it doesn’t help that the new president/CEO Ed Policy came in and immediately turned down the opportunity to extend Matt LaFleur, essentially an admission that LaFleur’s 67-33 record going into the year doesn’t meet Policy’s standard.
After the Carolina Panthers/Philadelphia Eagles stretch, it was looking bad. LaFleur really wants to run the football as his answer to two-high safety coverages. The problem is they couldn’t run the ball well at all, and the team’s best YAC option (Kraft) had just gone down with an injury. They adjusted by finally throwing some out-breaking routes (LaFleur likes in-breakers more, even though Jordan Love throws out-breakers really well), and the Jenkins injury sort of helped them in the running game, as Sean Rhyan moved to center and allowed for Anthony Belton to eventually take over at right guard.
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The team adjusted. I think most Packers fans get why LaFleur will (more than likely) receive a multi-year extension this offseason. There is always the camp of fans who think LaFleur isn’t any good, Brian Gutekunst isn’t any good, and Love isn’t any good, despite the team somehow magically coming away with double-digit wins despite all of these individuals who are allegedly bad at their jobs at the most important positions in the franchise.
4. How do you think the majority of Packers fans view the Chicago Bears with Ben Johnson? Plenty of Packers fans on social media keep pushing “same old Bears,” but I have seen a handful of fans saying they feel like the doormat Bears might be a thing of the past.
Oh, I don’t buy the same old Bears stuff. There are places where the team is weak right now, like on the defensive line, but this is Year 1. I think people wonder if Caleb Williams will actually take the next step, or if this is just who he is, but there’s a level of respect for what Ben Johnson is putting on the field. I think if there’s a future doormat in the division, it’s probably the Vikings, considering their quarterback situation and how few assets they have built up over the last couple of years.
5. How do you think this one plays out on Sunday? And which team in the NFC North do you think misses the playoffs?
I don’t think Chicago should be an underdog in this game, but I’m not going to put my name on something saying the Bears should win. I have to look at myself in the mirror. The team I think misses the playoffs is the Detroit Lions, just because of where their record has them right now. That tie against the Dallas Cowboys is doing a lot of work for the Packers right now.