Game Preview: Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
Game Preview: Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
The 2019 NFL season is finally upon us. It’s time to finally shake off the wild preseason and watch the best game in the world. Honestly, we couldn’t ask for a better match up to begin the season with two of the NFC’s finest and one of the greatest rivalries in NFL history – Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers.
These teams began playing each other in 1921 and have combined to win 22 NFL championships. They are always ready to square off against one another and are normally very exciting games. Recently the games have become much more meaningful as the Bears have become a force to be reckoned with as serious playoff contenders. The Bears emergence as a force in the NFC does not change the fact that Aaron Rodgers is still the name everyone fears in that division. In any given game Rodgers can take over and throw for 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns. In this article, we are going to compare the two teams head to head to see who has the advantage. The experts at Inside the Hashes and I have deliberated, and winners have been decided.
Quarterback: Green Bay Packers
This was not a hard choice for any of us here at ITH while I believe Mitch Trubisky has potential to be great, he has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same sentence with Aaron Rodgers. Aaron has been to the super bowl twice and won one of them in 2010 against the Steelers. Since then his playmaking ability and overall pose has put him in the conversation of the best quarterback in the game today.
Running Backs: Chicago Bears
Tarik Cohen has emerged as a very serious threat out of the backfield both running and receiving. Pair that with the addition of rookie David Montgomery making this lethal backfield into a double-headed dragon that has the potential to tear the league apart. When the Packers give the ball to Aaron Jones, he has proven to be incredibly effective and can make big plays. But the duo in the Chicago backfield is too strong and we give them the edge.
Wide Receivers: It’s a wash
The ITH crew was split down the middle with this one. While the Packers have a clear number one in Davante Adams the Bears have a little more depth at the position. Chicago has Allan Robinson who when healthy is a force and also players like Anthony Miller and Trey Burton who have proven they can be effective. I believe that after Davante Adams the talent at wideout takes a slight drop off but with the two young guys, Geronimo Allison who will play in the slot and Marquez Valdes-Scantling being a deep threat, the Packers have potential. For us, this position is truly a wash.
Defense: Chicago Bears
This was an easy decision as was for the quarterback position. The Bears' defense led by Khalil Mack is flat out dominant. They are strong, fast and they hit HARD. This defense looks almost as good as the ones led by Brian Urlacher in the early 2000s and with a few tweaks they could surpass that crew.
Coaching: Chicago Bears
Matt Nagy is entering his 2nd year as head coach of the Chicago Bears and all signs are pointing in the right direction. He has taken a team that had fallen behind in the NFC and really taken them to the next level. He is also helping young quarterback Mitchell Trubisky come into his own and making the Defense work for him so that he can showcase all of his talents. It’s hard to say how new Packers head coach Matt LaFleur considering we have no idea how he and Aaron Rodgers will get along together.
All of these things are contributing factors in the game but in the world of football, nothing is certain. Taking an average of all the insight from Inside the Hashes our prediction for the final score is.
Green Bay Packers: 28
Chicago Bears: 25
Enjoy the season everyone.
-By: Ryan Johnson