How they match up: Bears at Packers
Quarterback
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a perennial MVP candidate. Rodgers is 11-3 versus the Bears. In Week 4, Rodgers threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns (151.2 passer-rating) at Soldier Field. On the season, Rodgers has 19 touchdown passes and three interceptions. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is 1-10 lifetime against Green Bay. Cutler has a career-best 95.8 quarterback rating, but has turned the ball over 12 times in eight games.
Running back
Bears tailback Matt Forte is the offense's most productive player. Forte ranks third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,052. He leads the Bears with 562 rushing yards, 58 receptions and six combined touchdowns. Forte ran for a season-high 122 yards versus the Packers on Sept. 28. Green Bay's Eddie Lacy tops the club with 428 rushing yards (4.1 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. James Starks is an experienced No. 2 tailback.
Wide receivers
Rodgers' No. 1 target in the passing game is Jordy Nelson, one of the NFL's best receivers. Nelson has caught 50 balls for 737 yards and six touchdowns. No. 2 wideout Randall Cobb had seven catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears defense in Week 4. On the year, Cobb has hauled in 40 passes for 578 yards and team-high nine touchdowns. Bears receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery have been quiet the last two games. Marshall hasn't caught a touchdown since the last meeting with Green Bay in late September.
Tight end
Martellus Bennett is on pace for a career year. The seven-year veteran has already snagged 47 passes for 517 yards and five touchdowns. Bennett was one of the lone bright spots in a humiliating 51-23 loss at New England before the bye week. Green Bay tight end Richard Rodgers hurt the Bears with a 43-yard reception in Week 4. However, Rodgers has just seven catches on the year.
Offensive line
Both teams are dinged up on the offensive line. The Bears recently lost left guard Matt Slauson for the year due to a torn pectoral muscle. Green Bay left guard Josh Sitton (toe) and right guard T.J. Lang (ankle) are battling injuries. Chicago dominated the Packers in the trenches in September as the Bears rushed for 235 yards. Rodgers makes the Green Bay offensive line look better than it actually is.
Defensive line
Chicago defensive end Lamarr Houston is out, but Mel Tucker's defense ranks No. 13 against the run (110.1). The Bears' defensive line lacks consistency, however Willie Young (seven sacks), Stephen Paea (four sacks) and Jeremiah Ratliff (3.5 sacks) have the ability to make impact plays. The Bears really need veteran pass-rusher Jared Allen to step up in the second half. Green Bay is dead last versus the run (153.5). Right defensive end Mike Daniels (2.5 sacks) is the best of the Packers' three-down linemen.
Linebackers
Green Bay's Clay Matthews is a disruptive and dominant player when healthy. Matthews appears to be heating up with 1.5 sacks over his last two games. Ex-Bear Julius Peppers registered 2.5 sacks in the two weeks leading up to the bye week. A.J. Hawk leads the Packers with 60 total tackles. Chicago expects Lance Briggs and Jon Bostic to return on Sunday night, but even before both suffered injuries in Week 5, neither proved all that effective. Shea McClellin has been below average since coming back from a broken hand.
Secondary
The Packers have the ninth-rated passing defense (225.8). Green Bay's secondary is littered with quality players such as Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Sam Shields and Tramon Williams. The group always seems to give Cutler and Marshall fits. The Bears' secondary is stagnant. The safeties were burned repeatedly by Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski two weeks ago. Rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller leads the team with three interceptions, but two-time Pro Bowler Tim Jennings has been virtually invisible.
Special teams
DuJuan Harris and Cobb are dangerous return men on the Green Bay side. That's the edge, because both teams have quality kickers (Robbie Gould and Mason Crosby), punters (Pat O'Donnell and Tim Masthay) and coverage units. But the Bears have next to nothing in the return game.
Coaching
Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy is 87-48-1 (.644) in the regular season. McCarthy has led the Packers to five division titles, six playoff appearances, two NFC Championship Game berths and the Super Bowl XLV title. McCarthy is 12-6 versus the Bears. He just received a contract extension. Bears head coach Marc Trestman is 11-13 overall. Trestman is under fire for the Bears' poor 3-5 record.
Overall
The Bears need to save the season. A win on Sunday night keeps the year alive. However, if the Bears fall to 3-6, the season is basically over. Can the Bears beat Rodgers? History tells us no. Can Cutler beat Green Bay? History tells us no. However, Green Bay does have a soft defense. Still, short of forcing Rodgers to leave the game, the Bears face a serious uphill battle at Lambeau Field.
Quarterback
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a perennial MVP candidate. Rodgers is 11-3 versus the Bears. In Week 4, Rodgers threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns (151.2 passer-rating) at Soldier Field. On the season, Rodgers has 19 touchdown passes and three interceptions. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is 1-10 lifetime against Green Bay. Cutler has a career-best 95.8 quarterback rating, but has turned the ball over 12 times in eight games.
Running back
Bears tailback Matt Forte is the offense's most productive player. Forte ranks third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,052. He leads the Bears with 562 rushing yards, 58 receptions and six combined touchdowns. Forte ran for a season-high 122 yards versus the Packers on Sept. 28. Green Bay's Eddie Lacy tops the club with 428 rushing yards (4.1 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. James Starks is an experienced No. 2 tailback.
Wide receivers
Rodgers' No. 1 target in the passing game is Jordy Nelson, one of the NFL's best receivers. Nelson has caught 50 balls for 737 yards and six touchdowns. No. 2 wideout Randall Cobb had seven catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears defense in Week 4. On the year, Cobb has hauled in 40 passes for 578 yards and team-high nine touchdowns. Bears receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery have been quiet the last two games. Marshall hasn't caught a touchdown since the last meeting with Green Bay in late September.
Tight end
Martellus Bennett is on pace for a career year. The seven-year veteran has already snagged 47 passes for 517 yards and five touchdowns. Bennett was one of the lone bright spots in a humiliating 51-23 loss at New England before the bye week. Green Bay tight end Richard Rodgers hurt the Bears with a 43-yard reception in Week 4. However, Rodgers has just seven catches on the year.
Offensive line
Both teams are dinged up on the offensive line. The Bears recently lost left guard Matt Slauson for the year due to a torn pectoral muscle. Green Bay left guard Josh Sitton (toe) and right guard T.J. Lang (ankle) are battling injuries. Chicago dominated the Packers in the trenches in September as the Bears rushed for 235 yards. Rodgers makes the Green Bay offensive line look better than it actually is.
Defensive line
Chicago defensive end Lamarr Houston is out, but Mel Tucker's defense ranks No. 13 against the run (110.1). The Bears' defensive line lacks consistency, however Willie Young (seven sacks), Stephen Paea (four sacks) and Jeremiah Ratliff (3.5 sacks) have the ability to make impact plays. The Bears really need veteran pass-rusher Jared Allen to step up in the second half. Green Bay is dead last versus the run (153.5). Right defensive end Mike Daniels (2.5 sacks) is the best of the Packers' three-down linemen.
Linebackers
Green Bay's Clay Matthews is a disruptive and dominant player when healthy. Matthews appears to be heating up with 1.5 sacks over his last two games. Ex-Bear Julius Peppers registered 2.5 sacks in the two weeks leading up to the bye week. A.J. Hawk leads the Packers with 60 total tackles. Chicago expects Lance Briggs and Jon Bostic to return on Sunday night, but even before both suffered injuries in Week 5, neither proved all that effective. Shea McClellin has been below average since coming back from a broken hand.
Secondary
The Packers have the ninth-rated passing defense (225.8). Green Bay's secondary is littered with quality players such as Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Sam Shields and Tramon Williams. The group always seems to give Cutler and Marshall fits. The Bears' secondary is stagnant. The safeties were burned repeatedly by Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski two weeks ago. Rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller leads the team with three interceptions, but two-time Pro Bowler Tim Jennings has been virtually invisible.
Special teams
DuJuan Harris and Cobb are dangerous return men on the Green Bay side. That's the edge, because both teams have quality kickers (Robbie Gould and Mason Crosby), punters (Pat O'Donnell and Tim Masthay) and coverage units. But the Bears have next to nothing in the return game.
Coaching
Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy is 87-48-1 (.644) in the regular season. McCarthy has led the Packers to five division titles, six playoff appearances, two NFC Championship Game berths and the Super Bowl XLV title. McCarthy is 12-6 versus the Bears. He just received a contract extension. Bears head coach Marc Trestman is 11-13 overall. Trestman is under fire for the Bears' poor 3-5 record.
Overall
The Bears need to save the season. A win on Sunday night keeps the year alive. However, if the Bears fall to 3-6, the season is basically over. Can the Bears beat Rodgers? History tells us no. Can Cutler beat Green Bay? History tells us no. However, Green Bay does have a soft defense. Still, short of forcing Rodgers to leave the game, the Bears face a serious uphill battle at Lambeau Field.
