Packers vs. Bears 2018: The NFL Rivalry Continues

GREEN BAY, WI -- The Chicago Bears travel behind enemy lines for week one of the 2018 NFL regular season as they renew their rivalry with the Green Bay Packers. Both teams are aiming to shake off disappointing seasons, and begin a new NFL season. Both have high hopes because of big offseason changes.

Wisconsin Patch.com reached out to local Recovering Bears Fan and NFL Analyst Jason O'Connell, and Illinois Patch editor Tim Moran for their takes on this pivotal NFC North game.

O'Connell's Take

For the Pack, O'Connell said, the most important development is that Aaron Rodgers has recovered from collarbone and shoulder injures that caused him to miss more than half of 2017. As for the Bears, their optimism stems from the fact that the ultra-conservative John Fox is no longer running the team.

And therein lies the key for Sunday night's matchup, O'Connell says: the play-calling of new Bears HC Matt Nagy against the revamped Green Bay defense led by new DC Mike Pettine. We probably know what we're going to get from AR12 and the finely tuned GB offense, as well as the stout Bears defense, which finished 2017 ranked in the top 10 in yards allowed, passing yards allowed and points allowed.

"Can Nagy utilize the Bears' new cache of offensive weapons to help Trubisky grow into the QB they hoped he'd become when GM Ryan Pace moved up to draft him with the No. 2 overall selection? Can Pettine resurrect an overhauled GB secondary that finished in the bottom 10 in yards allowed last season and a defense that allowed 24 PPG, 7th-worst in the NFL?" he told Wisconsin Patch.

O'Connell says to look for the Pack to try to contain 2-time 1,000-yard rusher Jordan Howard and make Trubisky beat them. "The Pack bottled him up in both meetings last season, holding Howard to 107 yards total on the ground in two GB wins. Randall Cobb has torched the Bears in recent meetings, and the Chicago defense is still vulnerable in the slot. Expect Rodgers and Co. to try and exploit it," he told Wisconsin Patch.

O'Connell told Patch that Green Bay desperately wants to avoid dropping a home divisional game in Week 1, as that would mean starting the season off squarely behind the 8-ball with another daunting test in the Vikings waiting for them next week. "Expect the Pack to be able to do just enough to reward the Lambeau faithful," he said.

Prediction: Green Bay 23, Chicago 20

5 Keys From Chicago

If you're a die-hard Chicago Bears fan, you might be wondering how the Bears can get out of Green Bay with a win. Illinois Patch editor Tim Moran has come up with 5 things to watch in Sunday night's game from the Chicago sidelines:

1. Will Khalil Mack play, be effective immediately? The Bears may have waited until the last minute to make their big offseason splash, but it looks like stud defender Khalil Mack, recently acquired in a trade with the Raiders, may be ready for the Week 1 showdown. It will be interesting to see how effective he can be with a minimal amount of time to prepare.

2. True test for Trubisky: Since this is Bears QB Mitch Trubisky’s first full season as the team’s starter, the opener will loom large as the first truly meaningful game he plays in as a Bear.

3. How to stop Rodgers? Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been a Bear killer his whole career. An improved Chicago defense will have a chance to show its worth against the best in the game.

4. How will Nagy fare in a big game? Matt Nagy will make his NFL head coaching debut, so we will see if his big-game decision making reminds Bears fans of Marc Trestman, John Fox or, preferably, neither.

5. Something memorable: This is the oldest, and best, rivalry in the NFL. Both Illinoisans and Wisconsinites can at least agree on that. The rivalry also brings out some memorable moments, like William “The Refrigerator” Perry’s touchdown on a MNF game in 1985, a downpour on Halloween when the Bears honored greats Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus and in 1999, when Bryan Robinson blocked a FG to give the Bears an upset victory over their rivals to the north in the days after Walter Payton died. Look for an iconic moment like one of those to come up in this one too.

Prediction: Bears 21, Packers 17 - Fresh faces bring in a new era with an upset win in Week 1.

How to Follow the Game:

Radio: AM WTMJ will broadcast the game over the radio and heads up the Packers Radio Network made up of 50 stations over four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action.
TV: Westwood One Sports will air the game on radio across the country. Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Jason Taylor (analyst) will call the action, with Scott Graham hosting the pregame and halftime shows.
In the Milwaukee TV market, the game will be broadcast on WTMJ 4 beginning at 7:20 p.m. (CDT).

Green Bay Packers Numerical Roster

Chicago Bears Numerical Roster

GREENBAY, WI - OCTOBER 20: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers meets with quarterback Matt Barkley #12 of the Chicago Bears after the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 26-10 at Lambeau Field on October 20, 2016 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)