The Bears will march into Lambeau Field this week to take on the Packers for the first time in nearly 11 months. The heated rivalry has a new feel to it now, with Chicago coming in at 9-3 and winners of 9 of its last 10, first in both the division and the entire NFC. Green Bay doesn’t sit far behind, entering Week 14 at 8-3-1 following an impressive showing at Ford Field on Thanksgiving.
Ben Johnson’s preseason quote detailing the enjoyment he felt in defeating Packers head coach Matt LaFleur twice a year during his time in Detroit will be played on loop until Sunday. LeFleur and Green Bay will surely have that in the back of their minds in preparation for the game. That, along with a still-shot of a shirtless Ben Johnson, will serve as ideal bulletin board material if Packers players needed any additional incentive. Bears QB Caleb Williams also talked a little trash over the offseason about his 1-0 record at Lambeau Field dating back to last year. Each coming off of massive wins, both teams are talented and confident. This will be fun.
Both offenses in this matchup rank very similarly in counting stats this year. Chicago is 9th in yards per play, Green Bay is 10th. The Bears are 27th in turnovers (9), the Packers are 32nd (7). The differences lie in how they got there. Green Bay has an exceptional strength in the passing game, while Chicago has found a massive advantage in its offensive line and running backs. Last week, Philadelphia Eagles defenders were twisting themselves into pretzels trying to decipher Ben Johnson’s rushing concepts. It will be fun to watch these two differing styles face off on the same field.
Also notable: Packers superstar edge-rusher Micah Parsons is on a heater right now-even by his standards. He’s put up 7 sacks in his last 3 games, per PFF.
Keys to the Game
Bears
- Make it a Grinder
Each of Green Bay’s three losses this season have come in low-scoring, grinder type games (Scores; 13-10, 16-13, 10-7). The Packers have not shown the ability to win these types of contests. 5 of their 8 wins have been by at least two-scores (more than 8 points). Meanwhile, the Bears have majored in winning close games this year (6 of their 9 wins have been by less than one score). If the Bears can make this a slow-burn smashmouth football game, they can play right into Green Bay’s typical losing script. Coming off of a phenomenal 281-yard rushing game last week, Chicago has the skillset to do just that.
- Lockdown Green Bay Receivers + Intercept Jordan Love
This game might come down to the Packers receivers. Green Bay has a strong passing attack. Coming off of a 4-touchdown game out of QB Jordan Love, the Packers offense ranks 8th in net yards per pass attempt and 2nd in PFF passing grade. Love has thrown 19 passing touchdowns, while only surrendering 3 interceptions. This exceptional ratio is the reason that the Packers are 32nd in turnovers (only 7) this season. The caveat: Chicago’s defense is 1st (by a wide margin) in takeaways. Its 17 interceptions are 4 more than the team in second place. Interestingly, the two of the three games that Green Bay has lost this year happen to be two of the three games where Love threw an interception. If the Bears can pick him off, they’ll have a great shot in Lambeau.
Packers
- Take Care of the Rock
The most important thing that Green Bay can do is avoid turning the ball over. This is especially key against Chicago, which heavily relies upon creating takeaways on defense. For example, I don’t see the Bears winning last week in Philly without the timely forced fumble from Nahshon Wright. The games where the Bears haven’t been able to generate said takeaways are the few games where they have headed to the locker room with an L. The team needs them to survive. If the Packers can protect the football, they’ll be in a good position.
- Sack Caleb Williams 3+ Times
If the Packers can get three sacks on Sunday, they’ll probably win. In a complete 180 from last year, Caleb Williams simply does not take sacks in 2025. There’s only been one game where he was sacked more than twice (Week 2 @ Lions, 4 sacks taken), and the Bears lost handily. If Green Bay was able to surpass two sacks, it would throw a massive wrench into Chicago’s offense, which hasn’t had to deal with those types of setbacks all year long.
The Packers have a chance to hit this number. Micah Parsons is on fire, and the Packers defense has hit the three-sack mark six times this season, including each of the last two games.