On Saturday, January 10, the Chicago Bears will play the Green Bay Packers in their third and final matchup of the NFL season. Each team has beat the other once this season already, and after this weekend, one will advance to the NFC divisional round, while the other will return back home empty-handed.
This is the first time since the 2020 season that the Bears have made the playoffs, and the first time since 2018 that they have done so as the division winner. This year, they clinched the second seed in the NFC in Week 18 following a Philadelphia Eagles loss. The Packers had a strong start to the season, but have lost their last four games to position themselves as the NFC’s seventh seed for the third year in a row.
With the season on the line for both teams in Saturday’s game, there are many key storylines and factors to consider in predicting the winner. Thanks to their division win, the Bears will host the Packers at home in Chicago for this game, meaning the game will be played in front of a rowdy crowd of Bears fans eager to witness their team’s first playoff victory since 2010. This will be the first postseason opportunity for Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, and Ben Johnson’s first chance to compete on such a stage as a head coach. Additionally, star wide receiver Rome Odunze is expected to return from an injury that has kept him sidelined since Week 13.
The Packers have reason to be hopeful, though. During Chicago’s win over Green Bay this year, Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love left the game in the second quarter after suffering a concussion. Having him back at full strength for this matchup will help them on the road. Green Bay also had the opportunity to rest many of their starters during Week 18, as they had already clinched the seventh seed. This might give them an advantage versus a Bears team coming off of a tough loss to another division rival in the Detroit Lions. This year’s regular season matchups between the Bears and Packers resulted in a split series, with the Packers winning the first game in Week 14 and the Bears winning the second in Week 16.
The Packers sealed their first game against the Bears as Caleb Williams threw an interception in the end zone with 22 seconds left to play, putting an end to a potential Bears comeback. The final score was 28-21 with the Packers coming out on top.
The Week 16 game between the two teams went into overtime after a miraculous comeback by the Bears. Down by 10 late in the fourth quarter, the Bears kicked a field goal to cut the lead to seven before successfully recovering an onside kick to set up a potential game tying drive. On fourth down with less than a minute left in the game, undrafted rookie wide receiver Jahdae Walker caught his first career touchdown to tie the game at 16. In overtime, the Packers fumbled during their first possession, handing the ball to the Bears and paving the way for a 46 yard walk-off touchdown catch by DJ Moore. In the end, the Bears won with a score of 22-16.