The Green Bay Packers have a 9-0 record after a loss under head coach Matt LaFleur. That streak will be put to the test Sunday night when they take on the Chicago Bears in the home opener.
Last week, the Packers suffered an ugly defeat to the Minnesota Vikings while the Bears pulled off a surprising upset over the San Francisco 49ers. However, despite two very different results in week one, the oddsmakers still like the Packers as big betting favorites.
That probably has a lot to do with Aaron Rodgers’ history against the franchise. Rodgers is 22-5 all-time against the Bears, but he and the offense need to bounce back in a big way after last week’s showing. Missed opportunities and bad execution were the main reasons for the team’s poor performance, not only on offense, but defense as well.
On paper, everyone would agree the Packers should be heavy favorites. Chicago has a roster built for a rebuild, but that didn’t stop them from sliding into the win column to start the season. It’s a scrappy bunch with enough talent at key positions to give Green Bay trouble.
Let’s highlight four key matchups to look forward to in the latest installment of the NFL’s oldest rivalry.