PACKERVILLE, U.S.A.: Bears at Packers Preview

The Bears vs. Packers Preview is HERE.

Packers chasing postseason berth as they attempt to beat Bears for 10th straight time

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHICAGO (7-9) at GREEN BAY (8-8)

DAY / TIME / TV: Sunday, 3:25 p.m. CST, CBS

SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 106-95-6

LAST MEETING: Packers beat Bears 38-20 in Chicago on Sept. 10, 2023.

LAST WEEK: Bears won 37-17 at home over Atlanta; Packers won 33-10 at Minnesota.

BEARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (2), PASS (27), SCORING (16)

BEARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (1), RUSH (21), SCORING (20)

PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (13), RUSH (15), PASS (17), SCORING (11)

PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (21), RUSH (28), RUSH (11), SCORING (14)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Bears plus-2; Packers plus-1

All that stands between the Green Bay Packers and a playoff berth is an NFC North rival they’ve dominated for the last five seasons. That’s more than enough incentive for the Chicago Bears. Although the Bears (7-9) have no shot at making the playoffs and already own the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, they’d love nothing more than to end the Packers’ season Sunday at Lambeau Field. “I think it would mean a lot to the team, the fans, the city,” Bears quarterback Justin Fields said. “I think it’d be great. We know Green Bay’s playing for a lot, what’s at stake.”

The Packers (8-8) want to avoid a repeat of last season’s finale, when they blew a chance to reach the playoffs by losing to the Detroit Lions at home. “I think it’s just a totally different squad,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “There’s a different vibe around here, a different mindset. We’ve got to go attack. That’s the bottom line.”

The Packers have an outside chance of reaching the playoffs even if they lose Sunday, but they’d need plenty of help. Green Bay has beaten the Bears nine straight times, including a 38-20 victory at Chicago in this season’s opener. Green Bay’s Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes without an interception in that game.

Chicago’s defense has come a long way since that game with head coach Matt Eberflus taking over as defensive coordinator and pass rusher Montez Sweat arriving at the trade deadline. The Bears lead the NFL in run defense and have an NFL-leading 22 interceptions. Now that defense gets another shot at Love, who has thrown 16 touchdown passes with only one interception over his last seven games. Both teams are playing well, as the Packers have won two straight and six of nine while the Bears have won two in a row and five of seven. “You play for these moments, these opportunities to play in the competitive games,” Love said. “You want to be playing in these games to have a chance to go to the playoffs. That’s exactly where we’re at, and I think everybody’s excited for it. It’s going to be fun.”

FIELDS’ FINALE?

Fields heads into the final game with an unclear future. The Bears own the No. 1 pick in the draft thanks to a trade with league-worst Carolina in which they also received star receiver DJ Moore last March. They could decide to move on from their QB and go with Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Fields is coming off one of his most complete performances. The former Ohio State star threw for 268 yards with a touchdown pass and a rushing TD in a 37-17 win over Atlanta and even had fans at Soldier Field chanting his name. “I’m just doing my job at the end of the day,” Fields said. “I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. In my eyes, I could’ve played better. Didn’t play good enough, but like I said, good team win and everybody played well on all three phases of the football.”

ALEXANDER’S BACK

Green Bay cornerback Jaire Alexander returned to practice this week after the Packers suspended him for one game for conduct detrimental to the team. Alexander had appointed himself a captain for the Packers’ Christmas Eve win at Carolina and botched the handling of the coin toss. Alexander said this week he needs to do a better job of communicating with team officials. He discussed his hopes for staying in Green Bay beyond this season and what it would mean to reach the playoffs this year. “It’d be pretty cool, very, very deserving of this season that we’ve had,” Alexander said. “This would put the candle on the cake.” The Packers may need Alexander as they try to defend Moore, who had nine catches for 159 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons.

STACKING SACKS

Sweat has a chance to close out the year leading two teams in sacks. He’s the first player in NFL history to do that at any point in a season. Sweat is tied for 10th in the NFL with a career-high 12½ sacks, including six in eight games for Chicago. He had 6 ½ in eight games for Washington before being traded. Justin Jones is second on the Bears with 4 ½, and Jonathan Allen is second on the Commanders with 5½.

STEVENSON’S SURGE

Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is finishing his rookie season on a solid note. The second-round draft pick from Miami has four interceptions — all in the past five games. Stevenson had two picks and four passes defensed in last week’s win over Atlanta, making him the reigning NFC defensive player of the week. Love is the conference’s offensive player of the week after throwing three touchdown passes in Green Bay’s 33-10 triumph at Minnesota.

ON THE RUN

Both teams have running backs playing their best late in the season. Green Bay’s Aaron Jones has rushed for at least 120 yards in each of his last two games. Chicago’s Khalil Herbert has run for at least 112 yards in two straight games.

BEARS PLAYER TO WATCH

QB Justin Fields. The Bears have a huge decision to make since they own the No. 1 pick in the draft because of a trade with league-worst Carolina: Stick with Fields or turn to one of the top available QBs in the draft? Fields threw for 268 yards with a touchdown pass and a rushing TD against the Falcons in what might have been his final home game with the Bears. He even had fans chanting “We want Fields!” As electrifying as Fields can be with his arm and legs, he still ranks 22nd in the NFL in passer rating and 29th in completion rate.

PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH

RB Aaron Jones. After scoring two touchdowns in a season-opening victory at Chicago, Jones struggled first with a hamstring injury and later with a knee injury that limited him for much of the season. He’s back now and has rushed for more than 120 yards in each of Green Bay’s past two games.

KEY MATCHUP

Packers QB Jordan Love vs. Bears pass defense. Love threw three touchdown passes in his first meeting with the Bears and has been particularly effective lately with 16 touchdown passes and only one interception over his past seven games. Chicago’s defense has improved since that season-opening matchup with Green Bay, thanks in part to the acquisition of DE Montez Sweat at the trade deadline.

KEY INJURIES

Bears WR Darnell Mooney (concussion) won’t play Sunday… Bears CB Jaylon Johnson (shoulder) is doubtful… Bears DB Kyler Gordon (calf), RB Khalil Herbert (back/personal), TE Cole Kmet (knee), OL Lucas Patrick (calf) and LS Patrick Scales (foot) are questionable… Packers RB AJ Dillon (thumb/neck) and S Rudy Ford (hamstring) have been ruled out… Packers LB Isaiah McDuffie (concussion/neck) is doubtful… Packers LG Elgton Jenkins (knee/ankle), TE Luke Musgrave (kidney), WR Jayden Reed (chest), OLB Preston Smith (ankle), OT Luke Tenuta (ankle), WR Christian Watson (hamstring), WR Dontayvion Wicks (chest) and RB Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) are questionable.

FRIDAY INJURY REPORT

CHICAGO: OUT: WR Darnell Mooney (concussion). DOUBTFUL: DB Jaylon Johnson (shoulder). QUESTIONABLE: DB Kyler Gordon (calf), RB Khalil Hergert (NIR-personal/back), TE Cole Kmet (knee), OL Lucas Patrick (calf), LS Patrick Scales (foot). FULL: QB Tyson Bagent (illness), WR D.J. Moore (ankle). GREEN BAY: OUT: RB A.J. Dillon (thumb/neck), FS Rudy Ford (hamstring). DOUBTFUL: LB Isaiah McDuffie (concussion/neck). QUESTIONABLE: G Elgton Jenkins (knee/ankle), TE Luke Musgrave (kidney), WR Jayden Reed (chest), OLB Preston Smith (ankle), OT Luke Tenuta (ankle), WR Christian Watson (hamstring), WR Dontayvion Wicks (chest), RB Emanuel Wilson (shoulder). LIMITED: RB Aaron Jones (knee/finger), DB Jonathan Owens (knee), DT Tedarrell Slaton (knee/foot). FULL: CB Jaire Alexander (shoulder), S Zayne Anderson (knee), LB De’Vondre Campbell (neck), C Josh Myers (neck), DB Keisean Nixon (quadricep), S Darnell Savage (shoulder), LB Quay Walker (shoulder).

PERSONNEL MOVES:

The Green Bay Packers have activated TE Luke Musgrave and RB Emanuel Wilson off injured reserve, placed S Rudy Ford on injured reserve, elevated WR Grant DuBose from the practice squad to the active roster for gameday and released CB David Long Jr. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transactions Saturday.

SERIES NOTES

The Packers have beaten the Bears nine straight times. The Bears’ most recent victory in this series was a 24-17 game at Soldier Field on Dec. 16, 2018. Green Bay is undefeated against the Bears since Matt LaFleur took over as the Packers’ coach for the 2019 season… Love went 15 of 27 for 245 yards with three TDs and no INTs in the Packers’ season-opening victory over the Bears. Chicago QB Justin Fields went 24 of 37 for 216 yards with one TD and one INT, and he also rushed for 59 yards on nine carries in that game… Packers offensive line coach Luke Butkus is the nephew of the late Dick Butkus, who was a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Bears.

STATS AND STUFF

Chicago has won five of seven… The Bears had 432 yards against Atlanta after gaining 420 against Arizona. Their only other 400-yard games were in Weeks 4 and 5, when they put up 471 in a loss to Denver and 451 in a win at Washington… Sweat is tied for 10th in the NFL with a career-high 12½ sacks — six since a trade from Washington. He leads both teams, making him the first player in NFL history to do that at any point in a season… Bears RB Khalil Herbert set season highs in the past two games, running for 124 yards last week after rushing for 112 in a win over Arizona. Herbert had been limited to 75 yards on 31 attempts over the previous four games. He missed five prior to that because of an ankle injury… Bears WR DJ Moore has 92 receptions for a career-high 1,300 yards. He had a personal-best 93 catches for Carolina in 2021… Chicago’s Cole Kmet is tied with Martellus Bennett for third all time among Bears tight ends with 208 receptions. Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (316) and Desmond Clark (242) hold the top two spots… Bears K Cairo Santos is tied with Paul Edinger for fourth on the franchise list with 110 field goals, behind Robbie Gould (276), Kevin Butler (243) and Bob Thomas (128)… The Packers can earn a wild-card playoff berth by beating the Bears. They still have a remote chance of reaching the playoffs with a loss, but they’d need plenty of help… Packers WRs Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed have eight TD catches each, putting them in a tie for eighth in the league in that category… Reed has 10 total TDs, as he also scored twice on runs from scrimmage. The only other player to have at least eight TD catches and multiple TD runs this season is Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb… Love’s 30 TD passes rank him third in the league, behind Dallas’ Dak Prescott (32) and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy (31)… Packers K Anders Carlson is 26 of 31 on field-goal attempts this season but has missed five extra points… Packers CB/KR Keisean Nixon is averaging an NFL-leading 26.2 yards per kickoff return… Packers WR Tucker Kraft has 18 catches for 229 yards over his past four games. He had only 10 receptions for 95 yards before this four-game stretch… In the Vikings game, Green Bay WR Bo Melton became the first Packer to have 100-plus yards receiving and a TD catch in his first start since Jarrett Boykin in 2013… Packers OLB Preston Smith has 2½ sacks over his past two games.