The Packers travel to Illinois to face the longtime-rival Chicago Bears in Week 17.
- Sunday will mark Game No. 202 in the NFL's oldest rivalry. The Packers hold a 100-95-6 edge in the series, which includes two playoff games (1-1).
- Green Bay looks to sweep the regular-season series between the two teams for the second straight year, for the 16th time in the last 27 years (since 1994) and the eighth time in the last 12 seasons.
- It is the fourth time in the last five years that Green Bay will end the season on the road.
- It is the first time since 2013 that the Packers will close out the regular season at Chicago and marks only the second regular-season meeting between the teams at Soldier Field in the month of January (2004 season).
- Including a 2010 playoff victory at Chicago, Green Bay has won 21 of the last 26 meetings between the rivals at Soldier Field.
- Seven of the last eight games between the two clubs at Soldier Field have been decided by single digits.
- This is the first time since 2005 that both meetings with Chicago come in Week 12 or later.
AGAINST THE BEARS
- With Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback, Green Bay is 20-5 (including playoffs) against the Bears, with one loss coming in 2013 after Rodgers left the game with an injury after the first series.
- In the 25 games against Chicago, Rodgers has an overall passer rating of 103.5.
- Of the starters that have attempted 250-plus passes against the Bears (including playoffs), Rodgers' 103.5 passer rating is No. 1 in league history (No. 2 - Drew Brees, 97.1).
- Rodgers has posted a 100-plus passer rating in 11 matchups (min. 15 pass att.) and the Packers are 11-0 in those contests. Rodgers is tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (11) for the most 100-plus passer-rating games (min. 15 pass att.) against the Bears since 1950 (stathead.com).
- Rodgers registered a passer rating of 132.2 in the first meeting this season to give him seven games with a passer rating of 125-plus against the Bears, the most by any QB against the Bears since 1950 (min. 15 att.). Rodgers has four more than any other quarterback (stathead.com).
- Dating back to when he entered the NFL in 2014, WR Davante Adams ranks at the top the league against the Bears in receptions (61, No. 1), receiving yards (768, No. 1) and receiving TDs (seven, t-No. 1).
WITH THE CALL
The game will be televised to a regional audience on FOX and the broadcast team will be announced later this week.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) and three-time Packers Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro John Kuhn (sideline) will call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 25th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 22nd season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed), WTMJ.com via desktop computer and on numerous devices through NFL Game Pass.
- Sports USA will air the game on radio across the country. Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and Mark Carrier (analyst) will call the action.
- DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on Channel 713.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Bears:
- Regular season, all-time: 99-94-6
- All-time, Postseason: 1-1
- All-time, at Chicago: 49-52-2 (27-20-0 at Soldier Field)
- Streaks: The Packers are 17-4 against Chicago in 21 regular-season meetings since the start of the 2010 season
- Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 29, 2020, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 41-25
- Matt LaFleur: 25-6-0, .806; (1-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
- Matt Nagy: 28-19-0, .596 (0-1 postseason); 3rd NFL season
- Head to Head: LaFleur 3-0 vs. Nagy
- vs. Opponent: LaFleur 3-0 vs. Bears; Nagy 1-4 vs. Packers
- In his 12th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
- Is one of only three coaches in NFL history to win 25-plus games in his first two seasons as a head coach, joining George Seifert (28) and Steve Mariucci (25).
- In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).
- Guided the Titans' offense in 2018 to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg) as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL.
- Helped the Rams lead the league in scoring with an average of 29.9 points per game in 2017, more than doubling their average from 2016 (14.0 ppg).
- Tutored QB Matt Ryan, who led the league in passer rating (117.1) in 2016 on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press, and QB Robert Griffin III, who became the first QB in Washington franchise history to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012.
- Led the Bears to a 12-4 regular-season record in his first season as head coach, earning a postseason appearance and taking home Associated Press and PFWA Coach of the Year honors in 2018.
- Guided a Chiefs offense that ranked No. 5 in the NFL in total offense with 375.4 yards per game and finished sixth in the league in points per game (25.9) in 2017.
- Owns over 10 years of NFL coaching experience, serving on the Philadelphia Eagles' staff from 2008-12 and working with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013-17, including one year (2017) as offensive coordinator.
- Played six seasons at quarterback in the Arena Football League, completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 18,866 yards, 374 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 115.1.
- One of the most storied rivalries in professional sports, the two franchises have met 201 times (regular season and playoffs) entering Sunday's game - the most in NFL history.
- Starting in 1923, the clubs met for 59 straight years until both games in 1982 were canceled as part of a strike-shortened season.
- Have only met in the postseason twice, with the last meeting coming following the 2010 season. With a berth in Super Bowl XLV on the line, the Packers emerged victorious, 21-14, at Soldier Field.
- With two wins over the Bears in 2017, Green Bay took and maintained the advantage in the series for the first time since leading 11-10-4 following the 1932 season.
- Green Bay is 20-5 against Chicago with QB Aaron Rodgers as the starter.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers S Adrian Amos was drafted by Chicago in 2015 and played with the Bears for four seasons (2015-18)…Bears TE Jimmy Graham played for the Packers for two seasons (2018-19)…Bears OL Jason Spriggs was drafted by the Packers in 2016 and spent four seasons (2016-19) with the team…Packers DL Anthony Rush spent Weeks 10-12 of the 2020 season with Chicago before being claimed by Green Bay in Week 13...Green Bay players with connections to Illinois include: DL Dean Lowry (Rockford, Northwestern), DL Tyler Lancaster (Plainfield, Northwestern) and TE Robert Tonyan (McHenry)…Bears assistant wide receivers/offensive quality control coach Chris Jackson appeared in two games for the Packers at wide receiver during the 2002-03 seasons…Bears Bill Walsh coaching fellow Henry Burris was a backup quarterback for the Packers during the 2001 season…Bears TE Demetrius Harris played basketball at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee for two seasons (2011-13)…LB Za'Darius Smith (2015-18), T Rick Wagner (2013-16) and Bears DB Brent Urban (2014-18) played together for the Ravens…Wagner also played with Bears LS Patrick Scales for Baltimore in 2014…Bears offensive line coach Juan Castillo held the same position in Baltimore from 2013-16 when Smith and Wagner were on the roster…Castillo was an offensive analyst at Michigan in 2019 while Packers G Jon Runyan played for the school…Packers assistant offensive line coach Luke Butkus is from Bloom Township, Illinois, and attended the University of Illinois…Butkus was signed as a rookie free agent by the Bears in 2002 and is the nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus…Butkus was also the offensive line coach at his alma mater (2012, 2016-18) and served as the Bears' assistant offensive line coach from 2007-09…Packers S Will Redmond was coached by Bears secondary coach Deshea Townsend at Mississippi State from 2013-15…Packers special teams quality control coach Rayna Stewart served as a graduate assistant at Northwestern from 2007-08...Chicago assistant offensive line coach Donovan Raiola played for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2002-05...Packers defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis coached Bears LB Roquan Smith while serving as a defensive graduate assistant at Georgia during the 2016-17 seasons…Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga (2011-17), assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard (2014-15), LB Christian Kirksey (2014-19) and Bears DB Tashaun Gipson Sr. (2012-15), LB Barkevious Mingo (2013-15), DB Buster Skrine (2011-14), special teams coordinator Chris Tabor (2011-17) and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo (2015) all spent time with the Browns while Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine served as the team's head coach during the 2014-15 seasons…Kirksey and Harris both spent time on Cleveland's roster in 2019…Pettine also worked with Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano in Baltimore (2008)…Packers defensive backs coach Jerry Gray, Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti and Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor coached together for the Washington Football Teams during the 2006-07 seasons…Lazor served as the Dolphins' offensive coordinator when Packers G/T Billy Turner was on the roster in 2014-15…Bears tight ends coach Clancy Barone served as the Broncos' offensive line coach when Turner played for the team in 2016…Green Bay TE Marcedes Lewis (2006-17), offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett (2015-18) and Butkus (2013-15) spent time with Chicago WR Allen Robinson II (2014-17) in Jacksonville…Lewis and Hackett were also with the Jaguars when Gipson (2016-18) was on the team's roster...Packers defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery held the same position at the University of Wyoming from 2009-10 when Gipson was on campus…Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith (2016-18), Redmond (2017), Bears head coach Matt Nagy (2013-17), QB Nick Foles (2016), Harris (2013-18) and K Cairo Santos (2014-17) all spent time together while with the Chiefs organization...Bears wide receivers coach Matt Furrey played for the Washington Football Team when Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Olivadotti were on the staff in 2010…Bears LB Robert Quinn (2011-17) crossed paths with LaFleur (2017) and Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans (2012-15) while playing for the Rams…During Bears general manager Ryan Pace and Packers executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball served together in the Saints' front office from 2002-07…Packers personnel executive Lee Gissendaner played wide receiver at Northwestern (1990-93)...Bears director of player engagement Lamar Campbell played collegiately at Wisconsin (1994-97)...Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy was the athletic director at Northwestern from 2003-07…Former college teammates include: Packers P JK Scott and Bears DB Eddie Jackson (Alabama); Packers G Simon Stepaniak and Spriggs (Indiana); Packers WR Allen Lazard and Bears RB David Montgomery (Iowa State); Packers S Darnell Savage and Bears LB Josh Woods (Maryland); Packers WR Equanimeous St. Brown, Bears OL Alex Bars, TE Cole Kmet and OL Sam Mustipher (Notre Dame); Amos and Bears WR Allen Robinson II (Penn State); Packers DL Kingsley Keke and Bears OL Germain Ifedi (Texas A&M).
