It’s only fitting that the NFC North duels during the regular season between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, the greatest rivalry in the NFL, required a rubber match in the playoffs. While neither of these clubs necessarily look like a Super Bowl contender, it’s the bragging rights of knocking out the hated rival that will matter on Wild Card Weekend.
Ahead of Saturday’s must-see clash on Amazon Prime Video at Soldier Field, let’s dive into our Packers vs Bears predictions for this Wild Card Round matchup.
Chicago Bears Rush for 175+ Yards
Bears head coach Ben Johnson knows what works against Green Bay’s defense. Since the second half of their first meeting on Dec. 7, Chicago has put up 240 rushing yards with a 5.3 yards-per-carry average. While rookie running back Kyle Monangai isn’t by any means Derrick Henry, the 211-pound ball-carrier does pack some punch when running through arm tackles. Johnson will be able to take full advantage of how thin Green Bay is in the trenches, orchestrating a run game that should be just as successful at getting four-plus yards per carry as it is at generating some big plays. The Bears’ ground game will also be critical to limiting how many opportunities the Packers offense gets on the field.
Christian Watson Torches Chicago for 80+ Yards, Touchdown
It’s been a few weeks since we last saw Jordan Love and Christian Watson on the field together for an entire game. That happened back in Week 14 against this Bears defense, with Watson turning 4 receptions into 89 yards and a touchdown. For as great as Chicago is at generating takeaways and an interception is very much on the able in this game, pass coverage is an issue. In the last five weeks of the regular season, opponents averaged 236.2 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns per game versus the Bears. Watson’s size and speed is something that Chicago will once again have issues with, allowing Green Bay’s No. 1 wideout to have a big night at Soldier Field.
Caleb Williams, Jordan Love Combine for 5 Touchdowns
Two of the NFL’s most exciting and talented quarterbacks will both deliver on Saturday night. Love enters Wild Card Weekend with a career 9-2 TD-INT ratio and 116.6 QB rating versus Chicago, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt and 200.3 passing yards per game. While Williams’ numbers versus Green Bay aren’t quite as dominant, he’s been exceptional in the fourth quarter against them this season. Points should be aplenty for both teams in this NFC North rematch, resulting in the young signal-callers combining for five touchdowns.
Bears Never Trail the Green Bay Packers on Wild Card Weekend
Ben Johnson stated in his introductory press conference that he loves beating the Packers twice per season. The only thing sweeter than that experience for the fan base would be to knock Green Bay out of the NFL playoffs. Injuries absolutely will play a part in the outcome, as the Packers are a shell of the team they were just over a month ago. What matters now, though, is these current rosters. Johnson has built a roster that is perfectly constructed to exploit Green Bay’s weaknesses defensively. The Bears defense will make things very interesting, but Chicago’s ability to run the football throughout will result in it leading from start to finish.
Related: NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions, including Packers vs Bears Score
