Bears-Packers Preview

Added on Sep 13, 2012 by Scott in

NFL

Thursday NFL football kicks off tonight with a huge NFC North showdown pitting the visiting Bears against the home Packers. Needless to say, there’s no love loss between these rivals and things should be heated early as Chicago looks to plunge the defending division champs into an 0-2 hole. The Bears offense hung 41 points on the Colts in Week 1, while the Pack struggled to contain Alex Smith and Frank Gore. Which team has the edge?

Chicago at Green Bay (-5)

The Jay Cutler-Brandon Marshall connection didn’t miss a beat versus Indy as the duo hooked up nine times for 119 yards and a score. In addition, speedy rookie Alshon Jeffery impressed in his debut, catching a 42-yard touchdown strike. The usual stout defense confused rookie Andrew Luck, sacking him three times and notching three interceptions. Aaron Rodgers won’t be so easily rattled, although he wasn’t at his best against the Niners. The running back combo of Matt Forte and Michael Bush should see plenty of carries to keep Rodgers and Co. on the sidelines. Despite the improved offense, trading points with the reigning MVP isn’t advisable.

Green Bay looked less than stellar for three quarters versus San Francisco. A one-dimensional offense repeatedly stalled with little to no help from the run game. The 2011 defense that yielded chunks of yards and couldn’t get off the field was back, which doesn’t bode well. However, Clay Matthews resurrected his 2010 self by recording 2.5 sacks; he’ll need another equally dominant outing to keep Cutler from launching balls downfield. At some point, head coach Mike McCarthy is going have to dial up more running plays, because Rodgers can’t be the leading rusher every week. New arrival Cedric Benson isn’t a game-breaker, but he can wear down defenses if he gets a big enough workload.

It’s a tad early to buy into the Bears “explosive” attack. The Packers have won four straight in the series, including playoffs, and should be motivated to avoid dropping to 0-2. The visitors will keep it close, though.

Green Bay 27, Chicago 23