Green Bay Packers: A Few Thoughts Heading Into Chicago Bears Week

The Green Bay Packers are owners of a sparkly 2-0 record after the NFL's first two weeks, and while things have been a little dicey at times, sitting atop the NFC North is exactly where many predicted them to be.

However, sharing that top spot with them is an unlikely squad, the 2-0 Chicago Bears. Fresh off a win in Dallas over the weekend, the Bears are welcoming in the Packers in the third showdown between Chcago's Jay Cutler and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers.

To sweeten the deal even more, the two will decide the top spot in the NFC North on the national stage of Monday Night Football.

Let's go through a few of the Packers' odds and ends leading into this matchup. 

Finally Recognized

After posting his second three sack performance of the season, the Packers Clay Matthews has been awarded NFC Defensive Player of the Week for week two.

Matthews arguably should have won it in week one as well, but it's hard to dispute the Cardinals' Adrian Wilson winning it last week. Wilson had two interceptions, a sack, and a blocked field goal against the Rams.

Matthews now has six sacks on the season (a 48 sack pace), and has to be the early front runner for the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

While there's no way he will keep up his sack pace, I think it's more than conceivable that Matthews could finish with any where from 15-25 sacks.

25 sacks? Calling me crazy? Let's do the math. He's had six in two games. That means to get to 25 he'd need 19 in 14 games, or about 1.36 a game from here on out.

Until someone learns how to block him and/or scheme against him, I'm not putting it past Clay.

Speaking of which, Chicago's offensive line has let it's fair share of rushers past them in two games already. Don't be surprised to see Matthews add to his sack total on Monday night.

Intimidating First Start?

If Packers' offensive tackle Chad Clifton can't go Monday night, we're going to see first round pick Bryan Buluga making his first NFL start.

Lining up opposite of him? Non-other than the Bears 91 million dollar man Julius Peppers.

Buluga played the majority of the snaps and held his own last week after Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Clifton "didn't look healthy".

But Buluga will be facing a whole different animal this week in the physically dominant Peppers. He's already knocked Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford out in week one, and you know he'll be licking his chops to face the rookie Monday night if that's the case.

To be honest, however, this is why we drafted Buluga. Clifton is 34-years-old and has a set of cranky knees, and Buluga is the man who's next in line.

He's a first round draft pick, and expecting nothing less than a solid game--regardless of who he is facing--wouldn't be right. Either way, he'll get plenty of help I'm guessing (or maybe hoping?).

Keep your eye on this matchup Monday night.

Second Quarter Slump

The Packers underwhelming second quarter last week against the Bills is a nerve-wracking sign. Green Bay can't afford to have too many quarters like that and expect teams not to take advantage.

The Bills were too inadequate offensively to make it hurt last week, but even so, the game was only 13-7 heading into halftime in favor of the Packers.

Good teams, like the Bears next week, will make the Packers pay if that kind of sloppy quarter becomes routine.

And let's hope Aaron Rodgers' early inconsistencies begin to fade, because his first six quarters of play this season were far from what we expected of him.

He finally found a groove in the second half of the Buffalo game, and I'd bank on that Rodgers being the one we see the rest of the season. He's too talented and has too many weapons to let this Packers' offense dabble in mediocrity like it had been the first six quarters of 2010.

In A Rush to Panic

For everyone that says we need to acquire the Bills' Marshawn Lynch, relax. Our rushing game will figure itself out with the players we have on our roster currently.

And to be honest, the Packers 2010 season is going to have a lot of games where we throw for 275 yards and only rush for 100. In this post-Ryan Grant season, that's going to be the stat line for the majority of our games. And Green Bay will still be able to win games at the pace we expect them too.

Acquiring Lynch just seems like a lost cause. It's reported the Bills want a starting offensive lineman and a draft pick for Lynch. In my opinion, the Packers don't have a starting quality lineman that I'd be willing to give up for him and general manager Ted Thompson has always been hesitant on sending away draft picks.

Mix in Lynch's troubled past, and I think we can all but close the door on this deal happening.

And everyone that says trade A.J. Hawk for Lynch? Stop. We need A.J. Hawk on our roster all season. He hasn't played like a fifth overall draft pick, and he was hardly on the field week one, but he was excellent last week and he has been a solid contributor to this defense.

And if Nick Barnett goes down, we want Hawk manning the middle instead of Desmond Bishop, trust me.

We need to give the rushing game a chance to work itself out. In our offense, we don't have to bulldoze our way down the field with the running game to score points.

As long as we can be successful in staying balanced, our running attack will do enough for the Packers to win a boat load of games.

And keep your eye on week seven or eight. Rookie James Starks will be back with the team, and I think he's the Packer back that will help fill the void of Grant the best.

Way Too Early Prediction for Monday Night

This is going to be a hyped game no doubt. It's the Packers-Bears rivalry, it's Monday Night, it's Rodgers-Cutler, it's 2-0 vs. 2-0.

But more importantly, it's the Packers first real showing to the national audience. Everyone, me included, has to wonder how their preseason darling is going to hold up under the shining lights of Chicago.

In my opinion, they're going to hold up. It's not going to be pretty, and I could see both the Bears' offense and defense causing the Packers a lot of problems, but Rodgers will find a way to get it done.

Call me a homer, but give me the Packers as a Mason Crosby field goal better then the Bears, 31-28.