WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will grow to be the primary Bears quarterback to begin each recreation in a season since Jay Cutler began all 16 in 2009. Contemplating Williams has been sacked 67 instances this season and rushed 78 instances, that’s a big accomplishment, no matter his Twenty third-ranked passer ranking (87.4) and Thirtieth-ranked QBR (45.5).
Then again, Williams is also 9 sacks shy of tying the NFL document for many instances sacked in a season — 76, by Texans rookie David Carr in 2002. Williams already has been sacked 9 instances in a recreation as soon as this season — in a dreadful 19-3 loss to the Patriots (2-7) at Soldier Subject on No. 10 (the Patriots have three sacks in six video games since then).
The Packers are ninth within the NFL in sack proportion, with eight in opposition to the Titans in Week 3 and 7 in opposition to the Seahawks in Week 14. However that they had solely three for 19 yards in opposition to Williams and the Bears in Week 11.
The Bears face a troublesome problem to complete on a excessive word in opposition to a Packers’ protection that ranks sixth in factors allowed and eighth in yards allowed and has solely proven vulnerability in opposition to top-10 offenses — permitting 34 factors in opposition to the Lions in Week 14 and 27 in opposition to the Vikings final week.
DJ Moore (89 receptions, half of one mile, 5 touchdowns) wants 11 receptions to succeed in 100 for the primary time in his profession and 120 receiving yards for 1,000 — Williams can be the sixth totally different quarterback he’s caught 1,000 yards with in his seven-year profession.
WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL
The Bears’ protection is coming off its finest efficiency of a dreary second half of the season — holding the Seahawks to 265 yards and two discipline targets in a 6-3 loss. However even with that recreation, the Bears have allowed 25.7 factors and 380.2 yards of their final 9 video games — the Tenth-most factors and third-most yards within the NFL in that span.
The Week 11 recreation in opposition to the Packers was one of many few brilliant spots within the second-half downturn. Regardless of permitting 366 yards, the Bears held the Packers to 1-of-6 on third- and fourth-down conversions.
Actually, they held the Packers to 279 yards and 13 factors with lower than 5 minutes left in regulation, till Jordan Love threw a 60-yard go to Christian Watson to spark a four-play, 87-yard landing drive that made the distinction in a 20-19 victory.
Watson, who has 29 receptions for 620 yards (21.4 yards per catch) and two touchdowns this season, is questionable with a knee harm. He missed final week’s recreation in opposition to the Vikings.
It’s yet one more take a look at for the Bears’ run protection, which has dropped from first within the NFL final 12 months to twenty seventh (133.4 yards per recreation). The Packers are fifth within the NFL in speeding (144.6 yards per recreation).
