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| Eddie Lacy gashed the Ravens for 120 yards in week 6. |
Aaron Rodgers is 0-2 versus the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
That streak will be broken tonight.
In the fierce rivalry's 187th meeting, the Packers will look to defend their rank at the top of the NFC North standings. They started the season 1-2 with losses to the 49ers and Bengals, but have gone on a tear since their week four bye, winning the past four games.
Matchup to watch
Rodgers has performed near his best all season, specifically the last two weeks, where he has completed 75% of his passes for 545 yards, five touchdowns and no picks. Those stats are all the more impressive since he achieved most of them without three of his top four targets in Randall Cobb, James Jones, and Jermichael Finley. While Cobb and Finley will likely be out for at least 6 weeks, Jones has the possibility of playing in tonight's game. Jones would join top-ten NFL receiver Jordy Nelson and recent breakout Jarrett Boykin as they go up against a pass defense ranked a lowly 26th, despite forcing the 7th most turnovers in the league. Bears ball-hawking cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings each have three interceptions and two forced fumbles on the season. The elite talent through the air on both sides of the ball will make for exciting plays outside the hash marks.
Reviving the run game
Rodgers recently stated he "didn't really expect" the sudden success the Packers' run game has had so far in 2013. Ranked 7th in the league in that category, Green Bay has had the top rusher in their previous six games, the last four being the rookie Eddie Lacy from Alabama. Other than being absolutely ferocious in between the tackles, Lacy brings a surprisingly versatile array of skills to a backfield that has three halfbacks with at least 100 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown this season. Chicago has had a dangerously multi-faceted back for years in Matt Forte, who already has 795 yards from scrimmage this year. However, where Green Bay has succeeded in stopping the run, allowing a stiff 83.6 ypg, the Bears have struggled, giving up 117.3 ypg. Both squads will be looking to improve those tonight.
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| Alshon Jeffery is slated to make a major impact against the Packers tonight. |
Chicago has injuries too
While the Packers have had more than their share of injuries to key players, the Bears will be without two of their most important as well. Quarterback Jay Cutler and veteran linebacker Lance Briggs will not play. Josh McCown is better than the typical backup quarterback; he could probably start for a few teams struggling at that position. Last Sunday against the Redskins, he threw 14 completions on 20 attempts for 204 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions after coming in for an injured Cutler. He also ran four times for 33 yards. The Bears strong receiving corps., made up of Brandon "The Beast" Marshall(6'4"), fellow wideout Alshon Jeffery(6'3"), and tight end Martellus "Black Unicorn" Bennett(6'6"), will aid McCown against a pedestrian defense that will also be without their top linebacker in Clay Matthews. We will see which sides of both these teams can thrive in times of instability.
The Lions, Cowboys, and each other are the only remaining teams on the both the Packers and Bears schedule that have a winning record. As the NFL's oldest rivalry hits the field tonight, the race for the NFC North reaches its peak of the season.
Prediction: Packers 31 Bears 28
