When the Bears have the ball
Caleb Williams quarterbacks a Bears offense that concluded the regular season ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in points (9th at 25.9) and total yards (6th at 369.2) per game after finishing in the bottom five in both categories last year.
Williams threw for a Bears’ single-season-record 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 90.1 passer rating. He also rushed for 388 yards and 3 TDs and reduced the number of sacks he has taken from 68 last year to 24 this season.
The former USC standout threw two touchdown passes in each of the Bears’ final five games, totaling 10 TDs and two interceptions. His 1.2 career interception percentage is the lowest in NFL history among passers with at least 1,000 attempts.
Williams has been at his best late in games, rallying the Bears to six wins this season after they trailed in the final 2:00, the most by an NFL team since at least 1970.
The Bears’ ground game is powered by running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, the only NFL teammates that both rushed for at least 750 yards this season. Swift set career highs with 1,087 rushing yards and 1,386 yards from scrimmage.
According to offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, the key to running the ball effectively against the Packers Saturday night will be to “go back to the fundamentals that we’ve been preaching since we got here.”
“That’s not a sexy answer and yet that really is what it is,” Doyle said. “It’s our ability to come off the ball, all in unison, be communicating, our backs on their tracks, our perimeter players being willing to strike. It gives you confidence going into a game like this, especially playing a defense for the third time in six weeks. But we certainly feel comfortable with our run game and want to be able to utilize that as a strength.”
The expected return of receiver Rome Odunze after missing five games with a foot injury should provide a boost for the offense. In the first 12 games this season, he had 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns. The ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft from Washington is also an adept downfield blocker.
Other key weapons in the pass game include receivers DJ Moore (50 receptions for 682 yards and 6 TDs) and Luther Burden III (47-652-2) and tight ends Colston Loveland (58-713-6) Cole Kmet (30-347-2).
One of the Bears’ primary objectives Saturday night will be to get off to a fast start. They were held scoreless in the first half in each of their last two home games versus the Packers and Lions and scored only three points in the first half in their first meeting with Green Bay Dec. 7 at Lambeau Field.
“We definitely need to start fast, and that’s been the message for the last couple weeks now,” Swift said. “I don’t feel like we’ve done that at all, but we know we can’t waste any opportunities Saturday.”
Green Bay counters with a defense that ranks 11th in the NFL in points allowed (21.2) and 12th in total yards (311.8), 18th against the run (117.7) and 11th versus the pass (194.1).
After star defensive end Micah Parsons tore his ACL in Week 15, however, the Packers went 0-4 and their defense allowed the most rushing yards (170.8 per game) and recorded the fewest sacks (3) in the league. Parsons led Green Bay with 12.5 sacks and 26 quarterback hits and had eight pressures Dec. 7 versus the Bears.
“Losing a player of that caliber, things have to change just a little bit,” Doyle said. “You’ve seen some tweaks schematically. Early on they were really trying to put you in these one-on-one situations where they could get Micah isolated. They have shifted slightly, and yet the rest of the unit is a really good unit.
“They’re good on the back end. The front is very talented, certainly, and the ‘backers fly around. We certainly feel like they’re a worthy adversary. Our hands are full, and yet we feel like we can go out and attack this defense.”
Key matchup: Bears receiver DJ Moore vs. Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon
After Nixon sealed Green Bay’s 28-21 win over the Bears with a late interception Dec. 7 at Lambeau Field, Moore beat Nixon on a 46-yard walk-off TD in overtime 13 days later at Soldier Field.
