Guaranteed just their second losing season since 1992,, the Packers will line up this weekend and play against a familiar opponent at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Bears were the last team the Packers beat, in week 11. It seemed as though the Packers and Bears were headed in different directions after that game, but not in the way the last four weeks have played out. Rather than continuing the trend of that 37-3 victory, Green Bay has lost four straight and dropped out of playoff contention. The Bears on the other hand have won three of four to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The game will be played out on Monday Night Football, the third and final appearance for the Packers on Monday Night in 2008, They split their first two Monday night appearances, with an opening night win against Minnesota and the first of their four recent losses with a disappointing performance in New Orleans. While the Packers no longer have a chance to make the playoffs, they would love to keep their division rivals out of the playoffs as well.
“We talk about the importance of division games, and this is a big one,” Coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday. “That part has not changed. We know they are fired up to play us and trust me, it will be a physical game and we'll be ready to go when we step out there Monday night.”
The Packers will hope to duplicate their 37-3 performance from Week 11, but it is highly doubtful that this game will turn out to be so lopsided for either team. The Bears had less than 250 yards of offense in that game, and Packers running back Ryan Grant had 145 yards on the ground on his own.
With temperatures projected in the teens and both teams featuring offenses that get their start with the running game, this may be a contest in which the first team to 20 points will win the game. While the Packers did a decent job of containing Bears rookie running back Matt Forte in the first game, he still managed to gain 104 yards of offense in the game. The Bears had problems with Green Bay running back Ryan Grant, who had his best game of the year in rushing for 5.8 yards per rush on 25 carries.
If it turns out to be a pass-heavy game, the Packers should have the advantage. Bears quarterback Kyle Orton started out hot, throwing for over 200 yards in four of his first eight complete games of 2008. He was on his way to another 200 yard day against Detroit before suffering an injury that knocked him out of the game midway through the contest. In those first eight games, Orton had 10 touchdowns and just four interceptions. In the five games since his injury, Orton has topped 200 yards only once and has thrown just five touchdowns against six picks. By contrast, in the last five games for the Packers, Aaron Rodgers has topped 200 yards in each game while throwing 10 touchdowns against seven interceptions (the turnovers are a bit deceiving since two of those interceptions came on last minute heaves that had little meaning).
On a neutral field, the Packers would have the advantage over the Bears, but being that this game is in Chicago, it may be more difficult for the Packers to walk away with a win. If they can, a season sweep of the Bears would be a small piece of consolation for a team that will finish far below expectations in 2008.
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