There is going to be plenty of narratives to monitor in the prime-time matchup between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers on Saturday, as the bitter rivals are in a drag out battle for the top of the NFC North.
The last two games between these teams have been played at Lambeau Field but, with the stakes extremely high, Green Bay will get a not-so-friendly welcome to Soldier Field in one of the biggest games in the NFL this season. With several players expected to miss this matchup, there are going to be very interesting keys on both sides, reflecting back on the first game between these two teams.
Here’s a look at four top key matchups in the Week 16 showdown between the Bears and Packers:
Caleb Williams vs. Keisean Nixon
After throwing the game-ending interception to Nixon in Week 14, Caleb Williams will be out for revenge against Green Bay’s top playmaking cornerback. Nixon could be responsible for covering veteran DJ Moore who is coming off a two-touchdown performance against the Cleveland Browns, and with the Bears being without Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, Caleb Williams is going to have to exploit favorable matchups in the passing game when targeting Nixon.
Bears running backs vs. Packers front seven
Given the injuries in the passing game, the running game is going to be crucial against Green Bay’s defense that’s going to be without Micah Parsons. The Bears showed the best performance of their offense in the win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday, rushing for 281 yards with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both eclipsing over 120 rushing yards. Chicago will have to lean on this same rushing attack this week, having totaled 138 yards on the ground in their first meeting.
Jordan Love vs. Bears secondary
Packers quarterback Jordan Love has had plenty of success against the Bears during his time as a starter for Green Bay, and that continued in Week 14 when he threw for three touchdowns. The Bears secondary has the most interceptions in the NFL this season, but with no Kyler Gordon on the field and Jaylon Johnson admitting he has not been himself yet, the entire secondary is going to have to do their job at an elite level. That also means that the Chicago defense is going to have to eliminate the big plays that burned them several times in their first meeting this year.
Packers vs. Soldier Field
There’s been plenty of conversation about the future home of the Bears, with new headlines coming up this week about a potential move to Northwest Indiana. While any move on the future home of the team is a long ways away, the fanbase is certainly going to be fired up on Saturday night, in prime time, showing their pride for the city of Chicago in a high-stake playoff-caliber matchup. Given the history of the storied rivalry, this is the first time there will be a playoff style atmosphere between these two teams since 2011, when the Packers went on to win the Super Bowl after defeating the Bears in the NFC Championship.