A Scout's Take on the Slow Start of the Packers so Far This Season

Like I often do, I had an opportunity to talk with scout Chris Landry on Steve Duemig's radio show on Friday.

I wanted to get Landry's take on the slow start of the Packers so far this season, as the team is off to a 1-2 start and is ranked 28th in the NFL in total offense.

Landry talked about the issues the Packers are having on offense:

"They are not running the football well and they are not blocking well up front in the run game. They are seeing a lot of Cover 2 shells, so they are having to be patient. They aren't getting as many explosive plays.

"There are some similarities in some of the issues that their offense is having as well as the Saints. In that both offenses are seeing a lot of Cover 2 shells. People are saying that they are going to make them go the distance and it's (the offense) not as consistent."

I mentioned the offensive line issues in a recent story that talked about all the problems that have been plaguing the Packers offense.

The Packers aren't going to get a lot of time to lick their wounds, as the team prepares to face the 2-1 Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago. The game will be the 187th meeting of the two teams in the regular season, with da Bears holding a 92-88-6 edge.

Landry sees the game as being a very important early-season matchup for the Packers:

"This is a big, big game. I don't have to tell you that. If you go down 1-3 and the Bears are 3-1, it's early, but just to give everyone an idea how we look at it in the NFL, you break the season down into quarters.

"So if you go down 1-3, like the Redskins did (Thursday) night, then that means that you have to go 3-1 in the next quarter just to even that out. Then you are going to do that again, and maybe twice, just to be in the playoff hunt.

"This is a big game. I kind of expect the Pack, back against the wall, on the road, to play a good game against Chicago. I just believe it's a get-right game (for them). We'll see here. They have done a good job in the past of when they are struggling of rebounding. We'll see if they can get it done. The Bears have played very well, so this is not going to be easy."

Landry then talked about all the injury issues that the secondary of the Bears is currently facing:

"The safeties are really struggling. I'm thinking that offensively that this is a get-right game for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers. I think that they will attack that secondary and they will play a little bit of a shootout game.

"I'm going to bet on Aaron Rodgers and maybe seeing (Jay) Cutler making some mistakes in a game where he has to be more aggressive than Marc Trestman would like him to be."

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Landry brings up an excellent point about the quarterbacks.

In his career against the Bears in the regular season, Rodgers is 9-3 against Chicago, throwing 21 touchdown passes compared to eight interceptions for 2,831 yards. That adds up to a very nice 100.9 passer rating.

On the other hand, Cutler is just 1-8 in his career against the Packers. The former Vanderbilt Commodore has thrown 11 touchdown passes compared to 17 picks for 1,928 yards. That adds up to a less-than-mediocre 65.1 passer rating.

Rodgers and Cutler also met once in the 2010 NFC Championship Game played at Soldier Field, which the Packers won 21-14.

Like Landry said, it's early, but Sunday's game between the Packers and Bears is a huge game in terms of divisional play and the start to the 2014 season.

Bottom line, I agree with Landry that Sunday will be a get-right game for the Packers and that No. 12 will once again get the better of No. 6 during the game.