Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers: Five players to watch

2. Aaron Rodgers

You can keep Rodgers down for a while, but if you don’t step on his neck, he’ll make you pay.

Sunday was Case #1000 of that scenario as Rodgers brought a listless Packers team back from the dead against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Outside of the first drive, Rodgers’ struggles from last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons carried over to the first half of this game. After leading the Packers to a touchdown, the Packers offense punted four times and surrendered a pick-six. Not good…

Then, of course, he hit the god-mode button in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Chicago Bears have seen that one too many times, and they’re going to hope he doesn’t own them against Thursday night. Fortunately, primetime games have been kinder to the Bears against Rodgers than standard afternoon games. Maybe lightning will strike a fifth time?

Also, one wonders if the Chicago Bears, especially Leonard Floyd, can take advantage of uncertainty at the Packers’ offensive tackle positions. Without normal starters Bryan Bulaga and David Bakhtiari, Green Bay has had to play rookies at those spots. The result? Rodgers has been sacked nine times in the last two weeks.

If the Bears want to stop Rodgers, they’d better get after him and get him on the ground. They certainly had success with that last year at Lambeau Field…

If they don’t? Well…we already know what that looks like.