Week 1: Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers
The NFL’s oldest rivalry resumes on Sunday night when the Bears visit the Packers, but this year’s Bears team has something no other Chicago club has had for decades: a franchise quarterback.
Of course we are talking about Jay Cutler, whom the Bears acquired in the offseason from Denver in the NFL’s biggest trade in years. Last season with the Broncos, Cutler set franchise records with 384 completions, 616 attempts, 4,526 yards and eight games passing for 300 or more yards. By contrast, Chicago’s Kyle Orton (now with Denver) passed for more than 300 yards just once last season with the Bears.
There are questions about whether the Bears have enough receiving talent to keep Cutler as one of the NFL’s top QBs, but Chicago is content with starters Devin Hester and Earl Bennett, and the team expects TE Greg Olsen to break out this year. Matt Forte will again be the workhorse on the ground, especially with backup Kevin Jones now out for the season.
What Chicago needs to correct is its defense. Last season, that unit ranked 30th in the NFL in passing yards and 29th in sacks per pass attempt. LB Brian Urlacher does have an interception in three of the past four games against Green Bay, including one returned 85-yards for a touchdown.
Green Bay’s passing offense was among the best in the league last year and the No. 1 unit scored nine touchdowns on 12 possessions in the preseason. QB Aaron Rodgers, who threw for more than 4,000 yards last season in his first season starting, was 29 of 41 passing for 465 yards with six touchdowns, no interceptions and a 147.9 passer rating in the preseason. The only problem with Rodgers last year was that the Pack lost all of their close games, something that rarely happened with Brett Favre.
There is one key injury to be aware of for Sunday: Chicago CB Charles Tillman. He missed all of the preseason following back surgery, and the Bears are being very hush-hush about whether he will play. Tillman, who is officially questionable, is easily the team’s top cornerback and would be needed against a Packer team that features Donald Driver and Greg Jennings at wideout. Tillman did practice on Thursday and Friday.
Green Bay’s defense allowed an average of 28.5 points while losing five of its final six games last year, but that unit is switching to a 3-4 scheme under new coordinator Dom Capers.
Bears coach Lovie Smith is 7-3 record Green Bay — including 4-1 at Lambeau Field — after predecessors Dave Wannstedt (1-11) and Dick Jauron (2-8) combined to go just 3-19 vs. the Pack. Chicago has won four of the past six overall in this series – they split last year.
INJURY REPORT
BEARS: QUESTIONABLE: WR Devin Aromashodu (quadriceps), CB Charles Tillman (back). PROBABLE: DT Israel Idonije (hamstring). PACKERS: DOUBTFUL: RB Brandon Jackson (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: CB Will Blackmon (quadriceps), DT B.J. Raji (ankle). PROBABLE: QB Matt Flynn (right shoulder), S Aaron Rouse (hamstring).
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