By defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17, the Green Bay Packers enter their season finale with big stakes. A win over the Chicago Bears means the Packers clinch a postseason berth. A loss to the Bears all but spells the end of Green Bay’s season.
Dating back to 1921, this NFC North rivalry is one of the NFL’s most iconic. Over that span, 207 games have been played. The Packers own a slight edge in the series, but both teams appear to be trending in the right direction.
This historic rivalry has produced many classics since it began in 1921. Both teams enter the game as the NFL’s most winningest franchises. With so much at stake, Week 18 could be one of the best yet. Before previewing the game, let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable games for both Chicago and Green Bay over the years.
Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears Rivalry Brings Big Stakes
The Randall Cobb Catch
For different reasons, the 2013 season finale stands out to both Bears and Packers fans. Entering the game, both teams had playoff aspirations. The Soldier Field showdown was a rare win-or-go-home situation. Chicago entered the game at 8-7 and had a chance to sweep the Packers for the first time since 2007. The Packers had been playing much of their season without Aaron Rodgers and went 2-5-1 in his absence.
For much of the game, the two teams traded scores. Then, with less than one minute left, Rodgers found Randall Cobb for one of the biggest touchdowns in franchise history. With the last-minute score, Green Bay went up 33-28 and sealed their playoff bid. The win would help the Packers maintain a stronghold on the division, while Chicago has only produced one winning season since.
That winning season came in 2017 when the Bears entered their Week 15 against Green Bay with a chance to clinch the division. They did just that by beating Green Bay 24-17 at home. Soldier Field was sent into a frenzy and it seemed to be the turning of the tide for Chicago. That 2017 Bear’s team was not just good that year, it was great. Chicago fielded a top-ten defense in several categories and were running high on the pairing of head coach Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky. Both Nagy and Trubisky have since departed, but shades of that team can be seen in this current Bears roster.
How They Stack Up Today
In their last seven games, Chicago’s defense has forced 18 turnovers. They are 5-2 in that stretch, and Justin Fields has been playing some of his best football as a Bear. With the defense playing faster and more aggressively, Fields has had shorter playing fields and has not been forced to do everything himself. Only once in that stretch did he attempt more than 35 passes, and that came in a Week 15 loss to the Cleveland Browns. A balanced Chicago offense plus an opportunistic defense has been a big reason for their resurgence.
Both teams enter this season finale in different places, but both teams would benefit immensely by winning this game. A win for Chicago would help strengthen head coach Matt Eberflus’ resume going forward and give the Bears plenty of momentum heading into a pivotal offseason. A commanding performance by Justin Fields might even save his job as the Bears long-term quarterback. Both Fields and Eberflus have a lot to gain in this game, and perhaps quite a bit to lose, depending on the outcome.
Green Bay entered this season with an unfamiliar challenge ahead: assess the talent on hand. Gone were names like Rodgers, Allen Lazard, and Za’Darius Smith. Entering the season, Green Bay fielded one of the league’s youngest rosters. Heading into the year, few thought the Packers could make a playoff run. But after getting hot in November, and beating two of the NFC’s top teams, Green Bay has established itself as a threat in the conference.
A win over Chicago would not only signal that the Packers are further ahead in their rebuild than expected, but it would help them maintain a slight lead over the Bears in their rivalry. On top of playing spoiler, Chicago has a chance to solidify itself as a team that is to be feared in the NFC going forward. Once again, this Packers-Bears rivalry brings big stakes.
Main Photo: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
