We’ve reached December football, and the stakes are getting higher by the week. The Green Bay Packers are now in the stretch that will likely define their season. Two of their next three games are against the Chicago Bears, who currently occupy first place in the NFC North.
That is to say, whoever wins Sunday will have a massive advantage in being the team that is not only the winner of the division, but the team to be in the driver’s seat of the second seed in the NFC playoffs.
More on that, with other thoughts in our weekly six-pack.
1. New coach, bad blood?
The Chicago Bears hired the crown jewel of the coaching cycle when they plucked Ben Johnson away from the Detroit Lions last offseason. Johnson has restored the roar in Chicago, leading them to nine wins in their last 10 games, and he had some things to say in the offseason. He noted that one thing he appreciated in Detroit was beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.
LaFleur won’t respond to that if he’s asked, but it is one potential piece of bulletin board material in this rivalry that has largely been dormant for the last 20 years.
2. Tale of two takeaways
Green Bay’s defense does not take the ball away. Chicago’s certainly does.
Safety Kevin Byard has more interceptions on his own than the Packers have as a team. Byard collected his sixth interception in Friday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers have five interceptions, with all five coming from their safety tandem of Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney.
Chicago leads the league in takeaways under first year defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, and the Packers will need to be extra cognizant of taking care of the ball on offense.
3. New identity?
LaFleur looked like a completely different coach in Thursday’s win over the Detroit Lions. LaFleur was decisive, aggressive and willing to put the ball in the hands of his quarterback.
The difference in the game was Green Bay’s ability to convert its three fourth-down opportunities, while the Lions went 0-2. Furthermore, LaFleur had his mind made up on the decisive series of the game to give his quarterback two chances to end the game.
This came on the heels of what was perhaps LaFleur’s most conservative game plan in recent memory in the team’s win over the Vikings. If this is the style and bravado that LaFleur is going to coach with for the rest of the year, the Packers can reach all of their goals.
4. December to remember
The Packers have five games left. Four of those games come against teams with a record of .500 or better. Two of those games will come against Chicago, one against Baltimore and one in Denver against the AFC-leading Broncos.
One thing is certain: If the Packers make the postseason and earn a top seed in the NFC playoffs, they will have earned it.
5. High stakes
The winner of Sunday’s game will be in first place in the NFC North. This is the first time these two teams have played with stakes this high since the 2013 regular season finale, where the winner won the NFC North and earned a spot in the playoffs.
The stakes aren’t as high this weekend, but the winner will be in the driver’s seat. For a rivalry that’s been mostly dormant, this could be an injection of some juice that has been missing for quite some time.
6. All hands on deck
Green Bay’s defensive line was dealt a crushing blow last week against the Detroit Lions.
They hope they didn’t lose the war in the process of winning the battle. Devonte Wyatt was lost for the season with an ankle injury. The depth on the interior of their defensive line was already thin without him, but now it is getting to perilous levels.
Karl Brooks has been banged up. Lukas Van Ness has played six snaps since the beginning of October.
They’re going to need those guys back and to help fill the void left by Wyatt.
