Official Week 9 Green Bay vs Chicago Thread

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The Packers go on the road for the first time in almost a month (Oct. 15 at Minnesota) to take on the Chicago Bears.
Green Bay has won at Chicago in the regular season each of the last six years. The Packers’ six consecutive victories is the team’s second-longest winning streak at Soldier Field, trailing a streak of 10 wins that Green Bay recorded from 1994-2004 (does not include the 2002 victory in Champaign, Ill.)
The Packers have scored 30-plus points at Chicago in each of the last four matchups (33, 38, 31, 30).
Including a 2010 playoff victory at Chicago, Green Bay has won 20 of the last 24 meetings between the rivals at Soldier Field.
It is the Packers’ first November game in Chicago since 2001. Green Bay has won their last two games at Chicago in November (1992).
Sunday will mark game No. 196 in the NFL’s oldest rivalry. The Packers hold a 95-94-6 edge in the series, which includes two playoff games (1-1).
Under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the Packers are 17-7 against the Bears during the regular and postseason, including wins in 13 of the last 15 games.
In all but one of the 17 wins under McCarthy, Green Bay has scored at least 20 points.
In the first 15 seasons of the NFC North (2002-16), the Packers (nine) and Bears (three) accounted for 12 division titles.
Dating back to last season, Green Bay has won three consecutive games over the Bears, outscoring them 91-51 in those contests. The Packers won the first meeting this season, 35-14, at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay has recorded two-plus interceptions in each of the last three games against Chicago, totaling seven over that span.
This is the fourth consecutive season that the game between the two rivals in Chicago will be played at noon CT.
In 15 regular-season games against the Bears, LB Clay Matthews has regisgtered 9.5 sacks, the second most he has recorded against any team (10.0 in 15 games vs. Minnesota). Matthews’ three interceptions versus Chicago are two more than he has against another team during the regular season.
WR Jordy Nelson has registered 65 receptions for 1,040 yards (16.0 avg.) and eight touchdowns in 16 regular-season games against the Bears. It is the most receiving yardage he has against a single team and the second-most TD receptions (10 in 16 games against Minnesota).
The Packers are 4-4, marking the 11th consecutive season that they have a .500 record or better after eight games.
In Week 11, Green Bay will return to Lambeau Field to host the Baltimore Ravens for the first time since 2009. The Packers are 4-1 against the Ravens, including 3-0 at home.

WITH THE CALL
FOX Sports, now in its 24th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.
Play-by-play man Thom Brennaman joins analyst Chris Spielman and sideline reporter Peter Schrager.
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 five states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team’s broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 23rd season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 19th season of broadcasts together.
ESPN Radio will air the game across the country. Jason Benetti (play-by-play) and Bill Polian (analyst) will call the action.
The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on Channel 710.

BREAKING DOWN THE ROSTER
The Packers currently have an 53-man roster that is composed of 25 offensive players, 25 defensive players and three specialists.
Of the 53 players on Green Bay’s roster, 33 of them (62.3 percent) were draft picks of the Packers. Dating back to 2007, Green Bay has at least one member of each draft class still on the roster.
Green Bay has 14 players on the roster that began their careers as undrafted free agents, with 11 of those originally signed by Green Bay.
Over a third (35.8 percent) of the players (19 of 53) on Green Bay’s roster entered the league as a sixth-round or seventh-round pick or as an undrafted player.
The Packers have four players on the roster that played in the NFL prior to the 2009 season. Three of those four players were draft picks of the Packers (K Mason Crosby, WR Jordy Nelson and LB Clay Matthews) and two have made at least one Pro Bowl.
Of the 53 players on the roster, 44 began their pro careers with the Packers (83.0 percent).
Only 19 of the 53 players on the roster (35.8 percent) were selected in the first three rounds of the draft, with 16 being drafted by the Packers.
GREEN BAY’S ROSTER ...

BY AGE (as of Nov. 12)
21-24: 26 players
25-28: 20 players
29-32: 4 players
33-plus: 3 players
BY EXPERIENCE
R-1: 16 players
2-3: 15 players
4-5: 9 players
6-9: 8 players
10-plus: 5 players
BY DRAFT ROUND
1st: 6 players
2nd/3rd: 13 players
4th/5th: 15 players
6th/7th: 5 players
Undrafted: 14 players
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Bears
All-time, Regular season: 94-93-6
All-time, Postseason: 1-1
All-time, in Chicago: 48-52-2
Streaks: The Packers have won 15 of 18 matchups since 2008 and seven of the last eight since Week 17 of the 2013 season. Green Bay has six straight wins at Soldier Field.
Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 28, 2017; Packers won, 35-14, Lambeau Field

COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 128-73-1, .636 (incl. 10-8 postseason); 12th NFL season
John Fox: 139-124-0, .529 (incl. 8-7 postseason); 15th NFL season
Head to Head: McCarthy 6-2
vs. Opponent: McCarthy 17-7 vs. Bears; Fox 3-8 vs. Packers

MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his 12th year as the Packers’ 14th head coach.
Led the Packers to their eighth consecutive playoff appearance last season, tied for the third-longest streak in NFL history. Has also led the team to nine playoff appearances in the last 10 years (2007, 2009-16).
Ranks second in franchise history in total victories, trailing only Curly Lambeau.
Guided the Packers to top-10 finishes in scoring in eight straight seasons (2007-14), joining the Patriots as the only other team to accomplish the feat over that time; Packers finished first overall in scoring in 2014.
Reached the 100-win plateau faster than any active NFL head coach, needing just 155 games.
Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.

JOHN FOX …Is in his third year as the Bears’ 15th head coach.
Ranks third among active NFL head coaches with 139 career wins.
Led the Broncos to four division titles, joining Chuck Knox (L.A. Rams) as the only coaches in NFL history to lead their respective team to four division titles in their first four years with the franchise.
Between Carolina and Denver, made seven trips to the postseason, captured six division titles and made three conference championship appearances and two Super Bowl appearances.
One of six coaches in NFL history to lead two different teams to Super Bowl appearances (Carolina in 2003 and Denver in 2013).

THE PACKERS-BEARS SERIES
One of the most storied rivalries in professional sports, no two teams have met on the gridiron more than the Packers and Bears as Sunday marks the 196th matchup.
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.
After the Green Bay win on Thursday night in Week 4 earlier this season, the Packers lead the all-time series for the first time since 1932.
After playing 14 consecutive games at Solder Field in either September, December or January, Sunday’s matchup will be the Packers’ first trip to Chicago’s historic venue during the month of November since 2001.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Green Bay offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett played running back in Chicago from 1998-99...Chicago G Josh Sitton was originally drafted by Green Bay in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft and played for the Packers from 2008-15...Packers TE Martellus Bennett played for the Bears from 2013-15…Packers president & chief executive officer Mark Murphy was the athletic director at Northwestern from 2003-07...Green Bay special teams coordinator Ron Zook was the head coach at Illinois from 2005-11...Packers T Bryan Bulaga played at Marian Central Catholic High in Woodstock, Ill. ...Chicago secondary coach Ed Donatell was the defensive coordinator for the Packers from 2000-03...Packers DE Dean Lowry is from Rockford, Ill., and attended Northwestern...Green Bay defensive quality control coach Tim McGarigle attended St. Patrick High School in Chicago and was named the Catholic Metropolitan Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2001…McGarigle played at Northwestern and went on to coach at his alma mater before moving on to Illinois…Green Bay WR Geronimo Allison played at Illinois...Bears tight ends coach Frank Smith is from Milwaukee...Smith was an offensive line coach with the Saints during Packers G Jahri Evans’ time in New Orleans…Chicago WRs coach Zach Azzanni held the same title at the University of Wisconsin in 2012…Green Bay defensive front assistant Jerry Montgomery played for the Chicago Rush...Packers defensive line coach Mike Trgovac coached with Bears head coach John Fox (2002-08) in Carolina...Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and Bears special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers coached in San Francisco in 2005...Chicago QBs coach Dave Ragone played quarterback for the Houston Texans from 2003-05 when Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers was the head coach...Capers coached with Chicago defensive coordinator Vic Fangio with the Baltimore Stars (USFL) in 1984, New Orleans (1986-91) and Houston (2002-05)...Bears linebackers coach Glenn Pires was colleagues with Capers in Miami (2006-07)...Fox was the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1994 when Packers associate head coach/linebackers Winston Moss played linebacker...Green Bay tight ends coach Brian Angelichio spent 2014 in Cleveland with Chicago offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains...Donatell was the defensive backs coach in Denver while Packers strength and conditioning assistant Chris Gizzi was on the team in 1998...During the time that Bears general manager Ryan Pace was with the Saints from 2001-14, Packers vice president of football administration/player finance Russ Ball, McCarthy, Moss and Zook were all on staff...Angelichio and Bears offensive assistant Ben McDaniels coached in Tampa Bay from 2012-13...Fox was an assistant under Zook when Zook was Kansas’ defensive coordinator in 1983...Fangio coached Packers LB Ahmad Brooks and DT Quinton Dial when Fangio was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator…Additionally, Bears assistant DBs coach Roy Anderson, RBs coach Curtis Modkins and assistant special teams coach Derius Swinton III were on the 49ers staff during that time…Swinton III got his NFL coaching career started with the St. Louis Rams while Packers TE Lance Kendricks was a rookie…Kendricks and Bears RB Benny Cunningham spent four years together with the St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams…Packers RBs coach Ben Sirmans was Cunningham’s first position coach in the NFL in St. Louis…Evans, Bears DL Akiem Hicks and LB John Jenkins played together with the Saints…McGarigle and Chicago assistant OL coach Ben Wilkerson were teammates with the UFL’s Florida Tuskers in 2009…Bennett, Bears WR Victor Cruz, CB Prince Amukamara and WR Rueben Randle teamed together with the Giants in 2012…Amukamara and Packers CB Davon House were in the Jaguars’ defensive backfield in 2016…Bears QB Mike Glennon played in Tampa Bay while Angelichio held the same title with the Buccaneers…Former college teammates include: Packers LBs Clay Matthews, Nick Perry and Bears QB Mark Sanchez (Southern California), Chicago LB Danny Trevathan and Green Bay WR Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Packers S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Bears DB Eddie Jackson (Alabama), Green Bay P Justin Vogel and Chicago S Deon Bush (Miami) and Bears DE Roy Robertson-Harris and Packers RB Aaron Jones (UTEP).
 
This one should be a win. Packers will be fired up because if their last couple losses and they'll take it out on the Bears.....thats the best I could muster.
 
I like your optimism Budman. If there were two games on the remaining schedule that I'd figure the Packers would win, it would be this one against the Bears, and the meeting with the Browns, down the road. But, it's not that clear, based on the game they played against the Lions. To me, it's nearly a toss-up, with the Bears getting the edge because it's a home game for them.

As far as match-ups, I see the Bears defense being good enough to stop the Packers offense from scoring much. I don't see the Packers defense capable of stopping the Bears. What I do see is the Bears tripping on yard markers because their offense stinks.

I'm going with the Bears by a score of 20-17. The Packers blow it in the 4th quarter, letting the Bears march down the field to either kick the FG to win, or score a TD within the last minute. The Packers D will lose it with the "prevent defense," which seems geared to insure it.
 
I like your optimism Budman.

I'm going with the Bears by a score of 20-17. The Packers blow it in the 4th quarter, letting the Bears march down the field to either kick the FG to win, or score a TD within the last minute. The Packers D will lose it with the "prevent defense," which seems geared to insure it.

1. I had to go positive with the result. It can't get much worse than it's been, can It? But, your reasoning is spot on. Deep down, I don't think there is any gimmee left on the schedule. It will not surprise me if they do not win another game. I do think, at some point, this team will either tighten all the way up and quit, or they'll adopt a no holds barred, what the hell mentality and just cut loose. They may get another win if They adopt the latter.

2. If the game ends in that fashion, as you've stated, Capers should be immediately shown the door. No ifs, ands, or buts.....just gone
 
To be honest only way I see changes made if Packers just play awful lose out and are blown out in several games the rest of the season. If that happens I don't see any way the team can get away with the injury excuse to not make changes.
 
Bears haven’t allowed a WR TD in 4 games at home. Their D is potent at home. Hundley stinks and can’t run the O. Wise guys have Bears favored by 6 in this one and I expect it to grow. I see 24-6 Chicago.
 
Bears haven’t allowed a WR TD in 4 games at home. Their D is potent at home. Hundley stinks and can’t run the O. Wise guys have Bears favored by 6 in this one and I expect it to grow. I see 24-6 Chicago.

Those are some telling facts. Doesn't bode well unless MM can miraculously make this offense efficient.
 
Those are some telling facts. Doesn't bode well unless MM can miraculously make this offense efficient.

Its MM but IMO after watching last game it’s more Hundley. There were plays to be made and big plays as well. He was staring down the rush and got scared. He’s not making reads or trusting the OL. You can’t run an offense that way. He directed the Packers to 10 non-garbage Time points at home against a shaky D, what’s he going to do on the road against a good one?
 
Bears haven’t allowed a WR TD in 4 games at home. Their D is potent at home. Hundley stinks and can’t run the O. Wise guys have Bears favored by 6 in this one and I expect it to grow. I see 24-6 Chicago.
That's convenient considering the Pack don't score WR TDs anymore.
 
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