Bears V. Packers: Three Things To Watch
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bears head to Lambeau Field Sunday night for their first matchup of the season against their division rivals. The Bears are back from the bye hoping not to say goodbye to their playoff hopes in Green Bay. Here are three things to watch:
Trubisky Time
Will the return of Mitch spark the offense? With Mitchell Trubisky expected to get his first start since Week 3 in place of an injured, and frankly not very good Nick Foles, look for a little boost for the Bears anemic "O." No, I don't expect Trubisky to suddenly be much better at reading defenses or more accurate throwing the ball, but Foles wasn't great passing and he was a statue behind the line of scrimmage. Trubisky's threat to run can open the run game as well and this Packers defense has been bad, especially lately.
Handling Aaron Rodgers
But can the Bears defense handle Aaron Rodgers?At age 36, Rodgers is on pace to throw a career high 46 touchdowns. He's been especially good on the deep ball this season so watch for how much cushion Jaylen Johnson and Kyle Fuller have to give the Packers receivers, especially Davante Adams. Rodgers has already thrown as many picks as he did last year. Of course, that's still only four.
Extra-Special Teams
Look for the Bears to make a play on special teams. The Packers have one of the worst special teams units in the league overall, ranked #26 by Football Outsiders. They're below average in most areas but especially on kick return coverage. They are dead last in that category. And of course Cordarrelle Patterson returned a kick for a touchdown in the Bears last game. Maybe some good returns can help the Bears return to the win column for the first time since October 18th.
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