2024 Week 11 — Packers at Bears

QB Love, Packers look to keep pace in tight NFC North, continue dominance of struggling Bears

The Associated Press

Green Bay (6-3) at Chicago (4-5)

Day / Time / TV: Sunday, 12:00 p.m. CST, FOX

Series record: Packers lead 107-95-6

Last meeting: Packers beat Bears 17-9 in Green Bay, Wis., on Jan. 7, 2024.

Last week: Packers had bye, before that lost to Detroit 24-14; Bears lost 19-3 to New England.

Packers offense: overall (3), rush (3), pass (7), scoring (9).

Packers defense: overall (12), rush (10), pass (15), scoring (11).

Bears offense: overall (30), rush (24), pass (30), scoring (24).

Bears defense: overall (13), rush (24), pass (7), scoring (7).

Turnover differential: Packers plus-6; Bears plus-8.

Jordan Love remembers soaking it all in during the national anthem when Green Bay visited Chicago last year.

The season opener was the dawn of a new era for the Packers. Love showed he might be ready to follow in the footsteps of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers as he led Green Bay to yet another win over the Bears.

This time, the storylines are different.

The Packers (6-3) hope to keep pace in the tight NFC North and maintain their dominance in this storied rivalry, while the Bears (4-5) look to put the brakes on a skid that just cost their offensive coordinator his job.

“With this rivalry we know what this game’s all about and we take pride in that,” Love said.

The Packers have dominated the Bears, winning 10 in a row and 25 of the past 28 meetings, including the NFC championship game at the end of the 2010 season. The current streak matches the longest by either team in the rivalry, matching a run by Green Bay from 1994-98.

While the Packers would surely love to extend the streak, there’s also that other matter of trying to catch division rivals Detroit (8-1) and Minnesota (7-2). Green Bay had a bye last week following a loss to the Lions that stopped a four-game win streak.

The last-place Bears have dropped three straight after winning three in a row prior to their bye. Their offense has gone back-to-back games without a touchdown for the first time since 2004.

Chicago fired an offensive coordinator for the second time in 10 months when it let Shane Waldron go after just nine games on Tuesday in the wake of a 19-3 loss to New England. The Bears replaced him with passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, and his most important task is to get No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams on track.

The schedule, meanwhile, is taking a tougher turn. Six of Chicago’s final eight games are against division foes.

“It’s frustrating, especially when we know what we can be,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “I think this week with Thomas at the head of the offense here maybe provides a little bit of a reset and a fresh perspective.”

Struggling offense

The Bears have gone 23 consecutive possessions without a touchdown since driving for one in the final minute to take the lead against Washington in Week 8. They lost on a Hail Mary by Jayden Daniels. In the three games since the bye, Chicago’s offense has just two touchdowns in 34 drives. Williams is 48 of 95 without a TD in the past three games. He was sacked nine times against New England. During the win streak, Williams completed 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception.

Turnover talk

Both teams have done a good job at forcing turnovers. Green Bay is tied for second in the NFL with 19 takeaways, one behind Minnesota. Chicago has 16. The Bears have done a better job taking care of the ball. They have eight giveaways while the Packers have 13. Chicago is tied for fourth with a plus-8 turnover differential, while Green Bay is tied for seventh at plus-6.

Missing Smith

This will be the Packers’ first game since they sent veteran pass rusher Preston Smith to Pittsburgh last week for a 2025 seventh-round pick. Smith had 2 1/2 sacks this year and had totaled 44 since joining the Packers in 2019. “You’re losing a friend, somebody you’ve been around for a year-and-a-half,” said defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, the Packers’ 2023 first-round draft pick. “But I think it’s an opportunity for myself and the rest of the guys in the room to just take advantage of it and go out and show what we can do.”

McKinney on Moore

There could be some interesting conversations between Bears receiver DJ Moore and Packers safety Xavier McKinney. That’s because McKinney said something to reporters this week about Moore heading to the sideline as Williams was running from pressure during Chicago’s loss at Arizona on Nov. 3. “You’re supposed to be the guy and you’re just walking off the field,” McKinney said. “You’re walking off the field on a rookie quarterback that you’ve been praising.” Moore has said he left the field because he rolled his ankle and not out of frustration.

Familiar territory

Brown was in a similar spot last year as Carolina’s offensive coordinator. He had a rookie quarterback drafted with the No. 1 pick in Bryce Young and assumed play-calling duties during the season from coach Frank Reich, who eventually took over calling plays again before getting fired after a 1-10 start. Brown called plays against Green Bay in Week 16 last season when the Packers squeezed out a 33-30 win. Young threw for a career-high 312 yards and two touchdowns.

Packers player to watch

QB Jordan Love. Green Bay’s bye week benefited Love, who has practiced fully this week after playing through a groin strain in the loss to the Lions. Love has thrown for 1,820 yards and 15 touchdowns, but he’s also been picked off 10 times despite missing two full games with a knee injury and nearly half of a third game because of the groin issue. Love combined to throw for five touchdowns without an interception in two wins over the Bears last season.

Bears player to watch

QB Caleb Williams. The Bears have a new offensive coordinator after firing Shane Waldron and replacing him with passing game coordinator Thomas Brown. The question now is whether Williams can get on track. The No. 1 overall pick has struggled in Chicago’s three-game losing streak after a promising stretch prior to that. Williams is 48 of 95 without a TD during this skid and was sacked nine times against New England.

Key matchup

Green Bay’s pass rush against Chicago’s blockers. The Packers are tied for 19th in the NFL with 22 sacks, so they haven’t exactly been pummeling quarterbacks. But they might have a chance to get some pressure against a struggling and banged up line. Williams has been sacked a league-leading 38 times, in part because of his tendency to hold onto the ball too long.

Key injuries

Packers CB Jaire Alexander (knee), C Josh Myers (wrist) and S Evan Williams (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis Wednesday after missing the Lions game… The Bears placed S Jaquan Brisker (concussion) on injured reserve on Thursday. He has missed the past four games and will miss at least four more after being placed on IR… The offensive line could have two starters back with LT Braxton Jones (knee) and RT Darnell Wright (knee) returning to practice on Wednesday. Jones has missed the past two games, and Wright sat out last week… DE Montez Sweat (ankle) and special teams player Tarvarius Moore (concussion) returned to practice Thursday after sitting out the previous day… LG Teven Jenkins (ankle) left last week’s game.

Series notes

The Packers have won 10 straight and 25 of the past 28 meetings, including the NFC championship game at the end of the 2010 season. That ties the longest streak by either team in the rivalry, matching a run by Green Bay from 1994 to 1998. The Packers haven’t allowed more than 20 points in any of their past five road victories over the Bears. The only other NFL team to do that in Chicago was Green Bay as well, from 1928 to 1930.

Stats and stuff

Green Bay is third in the NFC North behind Detroit (8-1) and Minnesota (7-2). ... The Packers won four straight before losing to Detroit… The Packers are one of three teams to rank in the top 10 in the league in total offense, rushing offense, passing offense and scoring. The others are Baltimore and San Francisco… Green Bay has 19 takeaways, tied for second with Buffalo behind Minnesota (20)… The Packers have 62 points off turnovers — second to Buffalo (78)… Packers S Xavier McKinney has six interceptions to tie Detroit’s Kerby Joseph for the NFL lead. McKinney has a league-high seven takeaways, including a fumble recovery… TE Tucker Kraft has five touchdown catches in his past six games… The Bears have gone without a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004. The offense has 23 consecutive possessions without a TD since scoring in the final minute at Washington in Week 8, when Chicago lost on a Hail Mary. In the three games since the bye, the offense has produced just two touchdowns in 34 drives… Chicago has held opponents to 10 touchdowns on 27 trips inside the red zone for a league-low 37% rate… K Cairo Santos is tied for third in the NFL with six field goals of 50 yards or more — one shy of his franchise record.

NFL Week 11 Schedule

All Times Central

Thursday, November 14
Washington Commanders 18, Philadelphia Eagles 26

Sunday, November 17
Green Bay Packers 20, Chicago Bears 19
Jacksonville Jaguars 6, Detroit Lions 52
Las Vegas Raiders 19, Miami Dolphins 34
Los Angeles Rams 28, New England Patriots 22
Cleveland Browns 14, New Orleans Saints 35
Baltimore Ravens 16, Pittsburgh Steelers 18
Minnesota Vikings 23, Tennessee Titans 13
Atlanta Falcons 6, Denver Broncos 38
Seattle Seahawks 20, San Francisco 49ers 17
Kansas City Chiefs 21, Buffalo Bills 30
Cincinnati Bengals 27, Los Angeles Chargers 34
Indianapolis Colts 28, New York Jets 27

Monday, November 18
Houston Texans 34, Dallas Cowboys 10

Bye week: Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers