Just like that, the slate is wiped clean. The Green Bay Packers finished the regular season at 9-7-1, but they will tell you that everyone is 0-0 as of now.
The reward for finishing second in the NFC North is a date with their oldest rival — the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The Bears are 11-6 and won the NFC North, earning the two seed in the NFC playoffs. The two teams met twice this season, with each team winning on their home field.
Saturday’s game represents the rubber match. Here are our keys to the Packers walking out of Soldier Field with its first playoff victory since 2023.
1. Takeaways
These two defenses could not contrast each other any more.
Green Bay’s defense is allergic to takeaways, and the Bears feast on them. If Chicago tips a pass, they typically come down with an interception. If Green Bay does, they drop it and it falls harmlessly to the turf.
Takeaways are always of the utmost importance, but that was truthfully the only way Chicago was able to slow down Green Bay’s offense in either meeting. Taking care of the ball will need to be at a premium once again.
Green Bay took care of the ball when Jordan Love was under center. He only turned the ball over once. If they take care of the ball, there are plays to be made in Chicago’s secondary.
2. Remember Who You Are
In a perfect world, Matt LaFleur likely envisioned his team having a punishing ground game and a suffocating defense. Last year, he had a ground game spearheaded by Josh Jacobs that was downright vampiric at times, sucking the life out of their opponents.
The defense was good for most of the year until Micah Parsons was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
That’s not who the Packers are now. If they’re going to win Saturday night and make a potential run to the Super Bowl, it’s going to be squarely on the right shoulder of Love.
Love and the passing offense were dominant in the first meeting between these two teams. Malik Willis and Love both found success against Chicago’s secondary as well.
Saturday’s game is one where the Packers have the advantage at quarterback, and Love needs to be the better quarterback in this game.
LaFleur also needs to let Love prove it. The Packers are not going to be able to protect a lead by playing conservative. Playing to win with all of their chips on the table is the only way this team is going to continue to advance.
3. Finish
It feels silly to say something like this, because ultimately the results are the results.
Green Bay won one game between these two teams, and Chicago won the other.
The reality also is the Packers have outplayed the Bears for a vast majority of the 120 minutes they’ve played in regulation.
The Packers were the better team for 58 out of 60 minutes when the two teams met at Soldier Field shortly before Christmas. It took a collapse of epic proportions for the Bears to have a chance to tie the game, let alone win it.
The Packers should have an opportunity to play with a lead again this week. If they do, they simply need to finish Chicago off, which they did not do the last time around.
