3 things to watch for when the Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers
By Todd Welter
The defense trying to get to Jordan Love (and stopping the run).
Love has played five quarters of NFL football that was not mop-up duty. He looked bad in his first career start in 2021. Love showed potential against the Philadelphia Eagles when he entered the game in the fourth quarter in relief of an injured Aaron Rodgers.
Love had a solid preseason that has Packers Nation thinking he could be at least a good quarterback. It would not be shocking to see him play well through the first 15-20 plays. Those are typically the scripted plays that are hammered in practice.
That will make Chicago nervous because every Chicago Bears fan is hoping he sucks.
The Packers have beaten the Bears 46 times with either Favre or Rodgers as their starting quarterback. The Packers still won the only time Chicago played Green Bay without either legendary quarterback.
What the Bears need to do is make sure Love does not get comfortable in the pocket to continue to play well throughout the game. The defense needs to get pressure on him. The D also needs to make the necessary adjustments if he starts well.
Love could come out amped up and play with some nerves. If that is the case, it is all the more reason the defense must pressure him.
Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker need to make sure Love feels their presence. The coverages also have to be disguised well to confuse him.
Plus, the Packers offense is young, and the wide receiver group is banged up. Love will go into this game without his best receiver as Christian Watson has been ruled out. Romeo Doubs might miss the game as well.
That means the Packers should stick with a healthy dose of the run game. Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon have run all over the Bears in the past. The Bears defensive line has been overhauled, but Andrew Billings and Justin Jones had a terrible preseason. Behind them are two rookie defensive tackles, Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zaach Pickens. Ngakoue is not great against the run.
It could be a day where the Packers rely on the run and use play-action passes for big plays. That means the defense needs to be disruptive and do whatever it takes to make sure Jones and Dillon do not run wild.