QB Love, Packers look to keep pace in tight NFC North, continue dominance of struggling Bears
Green Bay (6-3) at Chicago (4-5)
Sunday, noon, WKTY — pregame at 10 a.m. — Tune in 96.7 FM / 580 AM
BetMGM NFL odds: Packers by 2 1/2.
Against the spread: Packers 4-5; Bears 4-4-1
Series record: Packers lead 107-95-6
Last meeting: Packers beat Bears 17-9 in Green Bay, Wis., on Jan. 7, 2024.
Last week: Packers had bye, before that lost to Detroit 24-14; Bears lost 19-3 to New England.
Packers offense: overall (3), rush (3), pass (7), scoring (9).
Packers defense: overall (12), rush (10), pass (15), scoring (11).
Bears offense: overall (30), rush (24), pass (30), scoring (24).
Bears defense: overall (13), rush (24), pass (7), scoring (7).
Turnover differential: Packers plus-6; Bears plus-8.
Packers player to watch
QB Jordan Love. Green Bay’s bye week benefited Love, who has practiced fully this week after playing through a groin strain in the loss to the Lions. Love has thrown for 1,820 yards and 15 touchdowns, but he’s also been picked off 10 times despite missing two full games with a knee injury and nearly half of a third game because of the groin issue. Love combined to throw for five touchdowns without an interception in two wins over the Bears last season.
Bears player to watch
QB Caleb Williams. The Bears have a new offensive coordinator after firing Shane Waldron and replacing him with passing game coordinator Thomas Brown. The question now is whether Williams can get on track. The No. 1 overall pick has struggled in Chicago’s three-game losing streak after a promising stretch prior to that. Williams is 48 of 95 without a TD during this skid and was sacked nine times against New England.
Key matchup
Green Bay’s pass rush against Chicago’s blockers. The Packers are tied for 19th in the NFL with 22 sacks, so they haven’t exactly been pummeling quarterbacks. But they might have a chance to get some pressure against a struggling and banged up line. Williams has been sacked a league-leading 38 times, in part because of his tendency to hold onto the ball too long.
Key injuries
Packers CB Jaire Alexander (knee), C Josh Myers (wrist) and S Evan Williams (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis Wednesday after missing the Lions game. … The Bears placed S Jaquan Brisker (concussion) on injured reserve on Thursday. He has missed the past four games and will miss at least four more after being placed on IR. … The offensive line could have two starters back with LT Braxton Jones (knee) and RT Darnell Wright (knee) returning to practice on Wednesday. Jones has missed the past two games, and Wright sat out last week. … DE Montez Sweat (ankle) and special teams player Tarvarius Moore (concussion) returned to practice Thursday after sitting out the previous day. … LG Teven Jenkins (ankle) left last week’s game.
Series notes
The Packers have won 10 straight and 25 of the past 28 meetings, including the NFC championship game at the end of the 2010 season. That ties the longest streak by either team in the rivalry, matching a run by Green Bay from 1994 to 1998. The Packers haven’t allowed more than 20 points in any of their past five road victories over the Bears. The only other NFL team to do that in Chicago was Green Bay as well, from 1928 to 1930.
Stats and stuff
Green Bay is third in the NFC North behind Detroit (8-1) and Minnesota (7-2). … The Packers won four straight before losing to Detroit. … The Packers are one of three teams to rank in the top 10 in the league in total offense, rushing offense, passing offense and scoring. The others are Baltimore and San Francisco. … Green Bay has 19 takeaways, tied for second with Buffalo behind Minnesota (20). … The Packers have 62 points off turnovers — second to Buffalo (78). … Packers S Xavier McKinney has six interceptions to tie Detroit’s Kerby Joseph for the NFL lead. McKinney has a league-high seven takeaways, including a fumble recovery. … TE Tucker Kraft has five touchdown catches in his past six games. … The Bears have gone without a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004. The offense has 23 consecutive possessions without a TD since scoring in the final minute at Washington in Week 8, when Chicago lost on a Hail Mary. In the three games since the bye, the offense has produced just two touchdowns in 34 drives. … Chicago has held opponents to 10 touchdowns on 27 trips inside the red zone for a league-low 37% rate. … K Cairo Santos is tied for third in the NFL with six field goals of 50 yards or more — one shy of his franchise record.
Fantasy tip
Packers RB Josh Jacobs comes into the game fourth in the league with 762 yards rushing and will be going against a defense that’s a bit vulnerable against the run.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is pressured by Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston (41) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)