The Chicago Bears will host the Green Bay Packers for an NFC North battle this Sunday from Soldier Field on FOX.
Green Bay Packers Preview
Green Bay went 8-9 last season, with a third place finish in the NFC North. The Packers took a step back last season, and it led to the eventual departure of longtime QB Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay scored 21.8 points per game last season, while allowing 21.8 ppg.
Packers Player Notes
• Jordan Love will replace Aaron Rodgers as the man behind center, and he’ll look to become the third straight Hall of Fame quarterback to grace the Green Bay uniform.
• Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon return to head the backfield, and they’ve been one of the best duos in the league for the past three seasons. Jones rushed for a career-high 1,121 yards, while catching a personal-best 59 passes, and Dillon gained 770 yards with seven touchdowns.
• Christian Watson is set to miss this contest, and they may really hinder the offense, as the wideout room remains unproven.
• Romeo Doubs is now questionable for that contest, potentially limiting Love’s primary weapons to being rookie Jayden Reed and a handful of other first-year players.
Chicago Bears Preview
Chicago went 3-14 last season, with a last place finish in the NFC North. The Bears naturally struggled in Matt Eberflus’ first year in charge, but there’s a lot of optimism in the Windy City, and their expected to make strides this season. Chicago scored 19.2 points per game last season, while allowing 27.2 ppg.
Bears Player Notes
• Justin Fields made big strides in his second season behind center. The former Ohio State quarterback passed for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns to eleven interceptions, and he impressively rushed for 1,143 yards and eight more scores. The 2023 season is set to be a big one for Fields.
• Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman will takeover the lead role with David Montgomery joining their division rivals in Detroit. Herbert rushed for 731 yards and four scores last year, while Foreman enjoyed a breakout season in Carolina, going for 914 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
• D.J. Moore also made his way over from Carolina, and he will be the Bears new WR1. Moore posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons before regressing a but last year with 63 catches for 888 yards, but he did manage to snag a personal-best seven touchdowns.
• Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool complement Moore in the wideout core. Mooney struggled to replicate his 1,000-yard 2021 campaign, catching 40 balls for 493 yards, while Claypool will also be looking to turn things around as he never really meshed after coming over from Pittsburgh at the deadline.
Corey’s Free Pick
This is where the Chicago makes their stand. After so many years of being Green Bay’s punching bag, this is the year things change in the division. The Bears can make a statement here, just as the Lions did on Thursday night, and send a message to the NFC North. It’s unclear how smooth the transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love will be as well, but one thing’s for sure, they will miss how much The Bad Man dominated this matchup for so many years. Back the Bears at home for this divisional battle.
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
