How the Bears Can Win Against the Packers in the Oldest Rivalry in the NFL

In Week 1, the Bears looked awesome and like an elite team against the Falcons. The offense was rolling and the defense was dominate. In Week 2 against the Saints, the team played uninspired football in the wake of Brian Urlacher’s mother passing.

This week the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers in one of the oldest and best rivalries in sports.

The Packers are the defending Super Bowl Champions, and the team is clicking on all cylinders. They should be heavy favorites in this game.

The Bears can win this game, but they must play like they did against the Falcons in Week 1 to do so. Here are a few things that the Bears can do to win in Week 3.

Run the Ball

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz is as stubborn as they come. If he had a choice, he would pass on every down, but in order to keep the defense from blitzing so much, they must run the ball.  

The Bears have always been known for running the ball and playing defense, and they must go back to that philosophy.  

Forte is a solid runner in between the tackles, although I believe he is a better receiver (and I'm sure Martz agrees). They must hand Forte the ball to set up the play-action and screen plays.  

The Bears also have speedy receivers in Johnny Knox and Devin Hester. Neither are great route runners, but can run past defenders in man-coverage. Running the ball can set up the play-action and allow these receivers to run free.

Hopefully, Marion Barber can play against the Pack and blast the defense with his power.

Jay Cutler Must Read the Defense and Audible Plays

Jay Cutler rarely audibles at the line of scrimmage. It's probably due to the fact that he isn’t reading defenses. 

He should realize where the blitz’s are coming from, what type of defense the other team is in and change-up the play when needed. 

This week, Cutler must watch game footage on the Packers so he can identify the different schemes that the Packers are in. This will allow him to adjust the offensive lines' protection schemes and call slant-routes for his receivers.  

Against the Saints, he seemed very mechanical and he wasn't very commanding. Against the Packers, Cutler will see a lot of Charles Woodson at the line of scrimmage, and must get the ball off quick.

Cutler must rely on his instincts and play smarter this week.

Chris Harris Needs to Play

The Saints Devery Henderson absolutely demolished the Bears secondary by continuously getting behind the coverage. Although Brandon Meriweather is an All-Pro safety, you could tell he was having problems understanding the cover-two. Free safety Major Wright might be out for this week, so the Bears need veteran Chris Harris to play. 

Harris might not be the fastest player on the field, but he is definitely one of the smartest. He has a great grasp of the cover-two scheme and knows where to be at the right time. 

The Bears need Harris’ smart play against Aaron Rodgers and his plethora of wide receivers. If Harris is out again, then the Bears could quite possibly give up a lot of yards this week.

Get Pressure on Rodgers with the Front Four

The Bears are at their best in defense when the front four are getting penetration. This allows the Bears linebackers to roam free, and the cover-two scheme is enhanced. 

Julius Peppers constantly gets the attention of double teams, which helps free up Idonije, Melton, and Adams.

Melton will be the key for this line to get any kind of penetration. In Week 1 against the Falcon, he was aggressive and pushed the Falcons offensive line throughout the game, opening up holes for Peppers and Idonije. Against the Saints, he looked like a completely different player, and was manhandled. 

If Melton can be aggressive against the Packers offensive line, look for Peppers and Idonije to wreak havoc on Rodgers and Ryan Grant.

The Receivers Need to Step Up

The Bears biggest target—Roy Williams—was out against the Saints and Earl Bennett got injured during the game as well. 

The speedsters Devin Hester and Johnny Knox were put in place and were invisible throughout the whole game. Hester and Knox are slight in size, but makeup for it with their blinding speed. Their biggest weakness is their route-running, and Martz must run the ball to open up the long ball. 

Cutler must also utilize Kellen Davis in the passing game. Davis can be a safety release receiver after blocking for Cutler, almost like a safety blanket when he can’t find receivers.

Throughout the game against the Saints, Cutler had no trust in his receivers and only passed to Forte. He must not rely too much on Forte and spread the ball around.

The Bears must play inspiring and motivating football this week against the Packers.  There needs to be balance between the running and passing game, and the defense must pick up the intensity.  If they do all these things then they will beat the defending champs.

Idonije—