Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: Keys to the Game

As NFL teams ring in the new year, the Green Bay Packers face the Chicago Bears in the regular-season finale for both sides.

Looking at the league standings, the Bears, at 4-12, will not be making the post-season. However, the Packers have punched their playoff ticket and currently sit with an 11-5 record.

When these two teams last faced off, Green Bay got a gift and blocked a last-second field goal attempt to win 20-19. For the Packers, that kicked off a three-game win streak, and a 5-2 stretch since their bye week.

Key Players for the Green Bay Packers

Currently, Green Bay sits in seventh place in the NFC standings, but could potentially move to the sixth seed. The only advantage to that would be avoiding a Wild-Card matchup against the Eagles, who defeated the Packers in Week 1.

While that could count as motivation, there is certainly a chance that Green Bay rests starters while squaring off against their rival squad. Quarterback Jordan Love and running back Josh Jacobs could sit out entirely.

If that does occur, Malik Willis will get his third start at quarterback this season. Willis has a 2-0 record this year, with wins against the Colts, and the Titans.

Meanwhile, if Jacobs were to sit out this contest, the starting running back would be a decision for Matt LaFleur. Looking at the snap counts for Chris Brooks, as well as those for Emanuel Wilson, there is an interesting trend. Between Week 8 and Week 14, Brooks played more offensive snaps than Wilson.

However, over the past month, Brooks only has 10 total touches. Meanwhile, Wilson had more than that in the Week 17 contest, alone. Much of Brooks’ playing time as been blocking as a full back.

It is Wilson who has been called upon to spill Jacobs as a the ball carrier. Therefore, should Jacobs sit out in Week 18, it would likely be Wilson who get the start, and the majority of the workload.

At the wide receiver position, Dontayvion Wicks is already slated for an increased role after Christian Watson’s injury last week. If any receiver is held out entirely of Week 18, it would be Watson. Wicks can fill a similar role as an explosive deep-play threat.

Key Players for the Chicago Bears

One would expect most rookie quarterbacks to struggle. But the disappointment in Chicago of late is still surprising. Especially considering the way this year began.

The 2024 Bears season started with a 4-2 record. Since then, they have lost ten games in a row. Typically the inverse of a rookie quarterback who struggles initially and improves as the season goes.

This year is all about the development of Caleb Williams. While there have been some positive signs, there are also a lot of red flags. Not that it’s all on Williams.

Coaching has been horrendous for several seasons in Chicago. Even though Matt Eberflus was fired mid-season, all the damage had been done. The former head coach’s culture of mediocrity and lack of accountability derailed this season before it even started. Bears fans will hope the poison is not permanent.

One positive sign for the organization is Caleb’s connection with his pass-catchers. The most important relationship being that of Williams and fellow first-round rookie Rome Odunze. The future of the franchise does have a lot do with the success the Williams and Odunze can create with their connection.

There have also been standout players on defense, most notably cornerback Jaylon Johnson. He has been shutting down opposing pass-catchers with success. But there is only so much one player can do. While Johnson has been fantastic, the overall defense is not.

That begs an important question: Who will Johnson cover during this upcoming contest against the Packers?

Right now, the best guess would be Romeo Doubs. He is the Packers most skilled route runner, and is often lined up as an outside wide receiver. However, if Doubs does not play the entire matchup, perhaps Johnson will draw Dontayvion Wicks as a coverage assignment.

Keys to Win the Game

Green Bay’s secondary is still dealing with injuries. It will be key to see how to coaching staff approaches assignments. Specifically, the coverage matchups against the Bears trio of talented wide receivers.

Keenan Allen might be the easiest to address. Primarily a slot receiver, Allen typically squares off against a nickel corner, or a safety. For the Packers that is one and the same, as rookie safety Javon Bullard has lined up a lot in the slot this season. As a result, Bullard makes the ideal candidate to cover Allen.

Now for the outside receivers, that is where things get more complicated. On Green Bay’s current active roster, the best coverage corner is Keisean Nixon. That would make him a logical choice to cover D.J. Moore.

However, Nixon also has experience as a slot corner. Therefore, if the Packers wanted to go with Bullard as a traditional safety, Green Bay could move Nixon inside to cover Allen.

That would leave Carrington Valentine as a top option on the outside. So maybe Valentine will shadow Moore, or perhaps he will cover the rookie Rome Odunze.

No matter how the coverage assignments are distributed, there is one major concern for Green Bay: size. Nixon is listed at 5-feet, 10-inches, while Valentine is 6-feet exactly. In the red zone, that could be a problem. Especially against the 6-foot-3 Odunze.

Inside their 5-yard line, the Packers have allowed touchdowns on 60 percent of passing plays, tied for the the second-highest rate in the league. Compare that to a league-low 23 percent touchdown rate on goal-line carries, and Green Bay’s defense can be exploited through the air. It would be smart for the Bears to employ a pass-heavy approach near the goal line.

Red zone efficiency is key to most NFL games, and this rivalry matchup is no exception.