The Green Bay Packers (12-3) are heading to Chicago to play the Bears (8-7) in the 2020 season finale on Sunday at Soldier Field. With a win, the Packers can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
Here’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 17 matchup with the will go down:
Zach Kruse (10-5): Packers 31, Bears 17
The loss of David Bakhtiari in the middle of a week could be devastating for Matt LaFleur’s team, but the injury could also be a rallying point as the Packers attempt to clinch the No. 1 seed. The depth of the offensive line is strong, and Aaron Rodgers should have terrific matchups in the passing game against a defense missing as many as two starters in the secondary. As long as the protection doesn’t implode and the Packers find a way to get one or two takeaways on Mitchell Trubisky, a win in Chicago looks entirely possible. I’m expecting something special from No. 12.
Jack Wepfer (11-4): Packers 27, Bears 23
Wow, does it suck to lose your second-best player on what is more or less the eve of the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see if the Bears try to move Khalil Mack to Aaron Rodgers’ blindside. When Rodgers has been pressured this year – against Tampa Bay and Carolina – he just hasn’t been effective. The Packers won handily last time out, but I think Matt Nagy has found a way to work around Mitchell Trubisky’s limitations. They’ll need to run the ball effectively to have a shot. While I think they’ll play better than last time, I think Mike Pettine, like Nagy, has finally figured out how to best configure his defense, as it is playing its best football of the season. I see the Packers winning to secure the one seed, but it’s a closer game.
Marty Kauffman (12-3): Packers 34, Bears 24
The news of David Bakhtiari being lost for the season was a gut punch. However, the Green Bay Packers will always have a shot to win as long as Aaron Rodgers lines up behind center and he is playing on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. The Bears are on a roll since they last played Green Bay, scoring over 30 points in three straight wins but the Packers have looked better since the first meeting too. The Packers look like a team locked in on their goals and getting that first-round bye is the next goal. Green Bay takes care of business on Sunday with a win
Anthony Nash (12-3): Packers 28, Bears 24
Green Bay’s offensive line depth will once again be tested after losing David Bakhtiari, but the unit has proven to be resilient in the past. With both teams playing for a lot, it wouldn’t be shocking to see this be another close game between division rivals, but Green Bay’s offense and a few key plays from the defense could be what tilts this in the Packers favor. Thanks to his showcase last week and the fact that Aaron Jones was able to rest a bit more, it also wouldn’t be shocking to see Green Bay lean more on their running game in a variety of ways, especially after how successful it was in Week 12 against Chicago.
Nolan Stracke (13-2): Packers 31, Bears 23
This Bears team is hot right now, but so are the Packers after a convincing win over the Tennesee Titans. If there’s any team that can cool off the Bears, it’d be the Packers. Chicago will now face a new threat in rookie running back AJ Dillon and an improved Green Bay defense since their last meeting. Aaron Rodgers will face a depleted Bears secondary. The writing is on the wall here and the Packers should be able to eliminate their division rival from playoff contention while securing the NFC’s No.1 seed at the same time.
Joe Kipp (13-2): Packers 34, Bears 27
Until proven otherwise, this Packers offense is the best in the NFC. No David Bakhtiari hurts, but Green Bay has two of the most versatile linemen in the NFL as potential replacements (Billy Turner, Elgton Jenkins). With the emergence of AJ Dillon last week, I’d expect the team to continue to try to pound the rock with their new battering ram. The player to watch when the Bears are on offense: David Montgomery. He’s tallied 692 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns over his last five games. The Packers defense showed they could halt Derrick Henry enough to keep the Titans offense at bay last week. They’ll need to do the same against Montgomery on Sunday.
Brandon Carwile (8-3): Packers 27, Bears 10
Green Bay is going to come out juiced for a win in honor of David Bakhtiari. Chicago is banged up in their secondary, which could lead to a big day for MVP hopeful Aaron Rodgers and his receivers. I also think we will see a solid performance from the run game. AJ Dillon is coming off a breakout game and the Packers ran all over the Bears in week 12. While the Bears appear to be playing well right now, Green Bay’s defense also appears to be peaking at right time. They will shut down Chicago’s offense and come away with multiple turnovers in a 17-point win to clinch the top seed in the NFC.
| Writer | Prediction | Score | Record |
| Zach Kruse | Win | 31-17 | 10-5 |
| Jack Wepfer | Win | 34-27 | 11-4 |
| Marty Kauffman | Win | 34-24 | 12-3 |
| Anthony Nash | Win | 28-24 | 12-3 |
| Nolan Stracke | Win | 31-23 | 13-2 |
| Joe Kipp | Win | 34-27 | 13-2 |
| Brandon Carwile | Win | 27-10 | 8-3 |
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