Today’s the day. Week 1 is officially here! Bears fans will have cope with the pregame jitters longer than usual since the game is set to kick off in the late afternoon, which gives the fans plenty time to mull over how the game will go.
The Bears and Packers are evenly matched in many crucial ways, and predicting who will be the winner of the divisional matchup is tough. Chicago has a great defensive backfield, but they are hampered by a weak defensive front four, make it ripe for the picking for Green Bay runners Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. On the contrary, the Packers may have a good running attack, but quarterback Jordan Love is largely unproven, which the aforementioned Bears cornerbacks and safeties can take advantage of.
Buy Bears TicketsOverall, the Bears will need to win in four key aspects of the football game to obtain the Week 1 victory. Let’s break down the reasons why Chicago will defeat Green Bay.
1
Justin Fields will sustain drives and lead multiple scoring drives
With the arrival of Week 1, Fields is officially in his “prove it” year. The Bears have decisions to make regarding the quarterback position next year, and Fields will be in the last year of his contract.
There’s no better way to show both the team and the fans his growth as a player than in Week 1 against the rival Packers at home. QB1 will need to get off to a strong start and break his frustrating habit of starting games early. Moreover, he’ll need to string together consecutive scoring drives to a secure a sizeable lead early. This will cause Jordan Love and the Packers to be more one-dimensional and look to pass more, which works in the Chicago’s’ favor.
He doesn’t need to be perfect, but Fields will need to outplay Love and do enough to get a statement win over Green Bay.
2
The Bears run game will overwhelm the Packers defense
The Bears have made great strides in ensuring the team’s biggest strength, the run game, will continue to be successful. General manager Ryan Poles signed D’Onta Foreman and drafted rookie Roschon Johnson in the offseason in an effort to keep starter Khalil Herbert from running himself into a potential injury.
To get the victory over Green Bay, Chicago will lean heavily on their talented backfield to pulverize their front seven. The Bears’ reliance on a ferocious running attack will free up the passing game as well, allowing Fields to succeed. Speaking of the star quarterback, offensive coordinator will continue to deploy Fields as a dynamic runner, as he had last season.
Chicago should have some eye-popping running statistics in the box score should the team win.
3
The Bears defensive line will disrupt the pocket and clog running lanes
It’s generally agreed upon that the offense won’t be an issue; it’s the defense that’s the main concern. It’s the defensive line that holds the rest of a talented unit back, as the group only has a few players that can be relied on to make an impact. Defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker, as well defensive tackle Justin Jones, are expected to be solid in today’s game, but the rest of the group is a big question mark.
The front four will need to limit the Packers’ explosive running attack of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon to the best of their ability. They’ll also need to get in the face of the unproven Green Bay quarterback and cause him to make a mistake. The defensive backfield, with the likes of Jaylon Johnson, Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker, is more than talented enough to capitalize on Green Bay errors; the defensive line will need to be the catalyst for those mishaps.
4
The offense will keep turnovers at a minimum
This entry isn’t rocket science; if the Bears don’t turn the ball over, they’ll have a way higher chance of winning. Even more emphasis should be placed on mistake-free football, as the Packers’ ability to move down the field with Love calling the shots is questionable. There may be several instances with Green Bay flames out on offense due to an errant pass or a misread.
That makes it all the more important that the Bears do not give the Packers a short field to work with. The Bears’ defense will already have issues containing their dynamic running game; giving them the ball in the redzone or just outside of it is a recipe for disaster.
As long as Fields and the offense are careful with the pigskin, a Chicago victory will be within reach.
