Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers: Complete Week 10 Preview for Green Bay
A Sunday night showdown didn't treat the Green Bay Packers well on the last go-round. Working in the Pack’s favor this time, though, is home-field advantage and a lesser opponent—particularly at quarterback.
Green Bay (5-3) plays on Sunday Night Football for the second time in as many games, hosting the Chicago Bears (3-5) at 8:30 p.m. ET. Both teams are coming off a bye week, and they went into them on sour notes.
When the Bears last walked (pouted) off the playing field, the New England Patriots had just handed Chicago an embarrassing 51-23 loss at Gillette Stadium for the team’s fourth loss in five weeks. Tom Brady threw as many touchdowns as incompletions (five), and both backup quarterbacks saw extended action.
At one point, New England scored three touchdowns in a 57-second span near the end of the second quarter—a stretch Jay Cutler called “agonizing.”
“I think everyone’s surprised,” Cutler said, according to The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). “You don’t expect to get out and beat like that.”
Adding insult to injury—actually, transposing that phrase makes more sense in this case—was the ruptured ACL suffered by Bears defensive end Lamarr Houston. The 2014 free-agent acquisition had just sacked Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo when, down 25 points with less than five minutes to play, he jumped in the air and slashed his arms across his body. He immediately collapsed to the turf, got up, walked a few steps and then collapsed again.
Packers Week 8 Recap
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Winners of their last four ballgames, the Packers entered their Week 8 showdown against the New Orleans Saints with supreme confidence. The Superdome is a tough place to play, but Green Bay’s brand of winning football knew no home-field advantage.
Or so we thought.
Without starting defensive backs Sam Shields and Morgan Burnett, Drew Brees sliced and diced the Packers secondary to the tune of a 27-of-32 line for 311 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 44-23 victory for the Saints.
"McCarthy: Morgan Burnett was missed in New Orleans. ...Different with your top safety back there.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) November 5, 2014"
Brees was nearly flawless in the second half, while his counterpart, Aaron Rodgers, tweaked a hamstring and played without his usual quickness and agility in the pocket.
After New Orleans turned it over on downs on its first drive of the second half, Sean Payton’s offense fired off four consecutive touchdown drives to put the game out of reach. Rodgers threw two interceptions—each of which bounced off the hands of the intended receiver—bringing his season total to three.
News and Notes
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Bad Jay Cutler
For his career (with the Denver Broncos and Bears), Cutler has not fared well against Green Bay.
And that’s putting it lightly.
In 10 regular-season starts against the Packers, Cutler has thrown 19 interceptions compared to 13 touchdowns. He’s 1-9. A recently published video by Vegard Vangstad shows each of Cutler’s interceptions to Green and Gold defenders.
It’s a glorious sight.
No. 1 Rivalry?
Is this the NFL’s best rivalry? Gil Brandt, the Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel from 1960-89, says yes. But other NFL.com contributors say Brady/Bill Belichick vs. Peyton Manning, the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers top the list.
Uncertainty at Inside Linebacker
The inside linebacker spot opposite A.J. Hawk is still unsettled, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. After starting the season with Brad Jones opposite Hawk, Green Bay has rotated in Jamari Lattimore and Sam Barrington with varied amounts of success. Mike McCarthy said he believes the defense is better when it plays more players.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Morgan Burnett (Calf) | S | Probable |
| Kevin Dorsey (Foot) | WR | Out |
| Datone Jones (Ankle) | DE | Probable |
| T.J. Lang (Ankle) | G | Questionable |
| Aaron Rodgers (Hamstring) | QB | Probable |
| Sam Shields (Knee) | CB | Probable |
| Josh Sitton (Toe) | G | Questionable |
The Green Bay secondary will receive a big boost with the return of Shields and Burnett, who were unavailable for the Saints game.
Datone Jones should help fortify a weakening defensive line.
T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton both suffered their injuries during the loss to New Orleans, and their questionable statuses theoretically signify they have a 50 percent chance of playing. Lane Taylor and the recently activated J.C. Tretter would be the next men up if either player cannot go.
Rodgers should be a full go.
Injury information courtesy of ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Jay Cutler vs. Packers pass defense
As mentioned before, Cutler does not do very well against the Packers. To put it bluntly, he is terrible, wretched, disgraceful and embarrassingly poor. Cutler’s failures are the biggest factor in his 1-9 record against Green Bay (1-10 including the playoffs).
Matt Forte vs. Packers run defense
Matt Forte and rookie Ka’Deem Carey shredded the Pack in the Bears’ 38-17 Week 4 loss to Green Bay, rushing for 122 and 72 yards in defeat, respectively. The Packers haven’t improved since then, and the team ranks last in terms of rushing yards allowed per game (153.5). Cutler bailed out the Packers with a couple of bone-headed interceptions in the last meeting; hopefully, Green Bay won’t have to depend on those on Sunday.
Kyle Fuller
After stellar efforts in Weeks 2 and 3 against the 49ers and New York Jets, Kyle Fuller had a long day versus Aaron Rodgers and Co. in Week 4. His minus-2.0 rating from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) against the Packers was tied for a season-low. The best way to stop the Packers offense is to force turnovers, and Fuller has been a force in his rookie season, intercepting three passes and forcing three fumbles. He’s a tough guy as well, playing 75 snaps versus the Patriots after suffering a hip pointer in the team’s loss to the Miami Dolphins a week before.
Prediction
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It would take a whole lot going wrong for the Packers to pick against them versus the Bears.
If, for example, Seneca Wallace was the Packers' starting quarterback, I’d probably pick the Bears.
Or if the Packers called Don Majkowski out of retirement, and the 50-year-old Magic Man was starting opposite Cutler, I’d probably pick the Bears.
But when it’s the Packers coming off a bye with a likely healthy Rodgers at the friendly confines of Lambeau Field, and they are following an embarrassing loss on national television with another game on national TV, it’s simply impossible to pick against the Packers.
Cutler will turn the ball over at least twice because that’s just what he does. Rodgers and Eddie Lacy will annihilate the porous Chicago defense because that’s what they do. And the Packers will beat the Bears because that’s what they do.
Prediction: Packers 42, Bears 20
Odds, via Odds Shark: Green Bay -7.5
Follow me on Twitter @PeterSowards.
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