The 11-5 Packers host the 4-12 Chicago Bears this week at Lambeau Field to close out the regular season. It’s the oldest rivalry in sports, and there are plenty of storylines for both teams heading into this one. Here are six takeaways to consider before Sunday’s kickoff. 

1. Routing a Rival

Oh boy, the dope sheet has some gems this week. To start, the Packers have won 11-straight against the Bears which is the longest winning streak by either team in the history of the rivalry. If you’ll remember from the first matchup this season, Green Bay broke its 10-game streak established from 1994-1998 with the win in Week 11. 

The 11-game streak is the longest current streak by any NFL team against a single opponent, and it’s the second-longest winning streak against any franchise in NFL history (15 games, Chicago Cardinals, 1937-1946). 

Head Coach Matt LaFleur remains undefeated versus Chicago with his own 11-0 record, and he’s one of just five head coaches in NFL history to be undefeated against a franchise (minimum 10 games, including playoffs). The other coaches are Joe Gibbs (12-0 vs. DET), George Allen (11-0-1 vs. ATL), Blanton Collier (11-0 vs. WAS), and Curly Lambeau (10-0 vs. Tigers, 9-0-1 vs. Badgers). 

2. Heir Down

In the first meeting between the teams, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams completed 23 passes for 231 yards with a long of 25. He was sacked three times and didn’t register a passing touchdown. He also added nine rushing attempts for 70 yards on the ground with his legs. He finished the day with a passer rating of 95.0.

Williams had been on a nine-game streak without throwing an interception before the Seahawks snagged a pick to close out the game last week. In his rookie year, Williams has taken 67 sacks, which is the most in the NFL, for a loss of 459 yards. He’s getting sacked on 11.2% of attempted passes. 

On the season, Williams has thrown for 3,393 yards with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. He holds a completion percentage of 61.9%, is averaging 212.1 yards per game, and has a passer rating of 87.4. Just for comparison’s sake, here’s how those numbers stack up against some of Chicago’s most recent quarterbacks. 

In 2018, Mitchell Trubisky’s first year as the full-time starter in Chicago, the Bears finished the season 12-4. They were a double-doink away from a postseason victory after winning the division. Trubisky threw for 3,223 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He averaged 230.2 yards per game, was sacked only 24 times, and finished the year with a passer rating of 95.4 in his 14 games played. 

In 2021, the Bears drafted Justin Fields. In his first full season as the team’s starter in 2022, Fields threw for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He had a completion percentage of 60.4%, averaged 149.5 yards per game, and was sacked a league-high 55 times in 15 games. He finished the year with a passer rating of 85.2. That year, Chicago had the worst defense in the NFL, ranking 32nd in points against and allowing an average of 27.2 points per game. 

None of this is any indictment on Williams and the player he can become, but the franchise certainly finds itself in another challenging scenario looking to hire a brand new head coach. Interim Head Coach Thomas Brown is 0-4 on the season with an offense ranked 29th in the league, scoring an average of 17.9 points per game. 

3. The Wrong Side of History 

For the first time in franchise history, the Chicago Bears are in jeopardy of losing 11-straight games in one regular season. The existing longest losing streak for the Bears is 14 games, spanning across the 2022-2023 seasons. But a loss on Sunday would put Chicago into uncharted territory, losing 11 games within one single NFL season. 

The Bears almost beat the Packers back in Week 11 but Green Bay’s special teams saved the day with a blocked field goal, handing the Bears their 11th straight loss against the rivals. The path doesn’t look any easier on Sunday with Chicago coming into Lambeau Field as almost 10-point underdogs. 

Interestingly, this is the first noon CT kickoff for Green Bay since the two teams played last in mid-November in Chicago. The Packers are 6-1 in noon games this season and 26-11 all-time at noon under LaFleur. That .703 winning percentage ranks fourth in the NFL since 2019, per the dope sheet. 

And somehow, Sunday’s game is just the second game in the last 16 seasons that Green Bay will play the Bears at noon at Lambeau Field. The two teams haven’t faced off at noon at Lambeau since 2019. This is also the second straight season where the division rivals won’t face off in prime time. Prior to last season, the NFC North foes had faced off in prime time for a whopping 17 consecutive seasons (2006-2022). 

4. Seeing Red (Zone)

The Packers struggled in the red zone early this season, but coming out of the bye they’ve seemed to put it all together. In the seven games post-bye, Green Bay has gone 24-of-32 in the red zone for a success rate of 75%. That stretch has brought Green Bay’s red zone efficiency up to 60.6% on the season, which ranks ninth in the NFL. 

On the flip side, the Bears have one of the best red zone defenses in the league. Chicago has allowed a touchdown on only 28-of-60 attempts, or 46.7%, which ranks third in the NFL. As a whole, the Bears are giving up an average of 21.8 points per game, good for 12th in the league. The Packers offense is eighth in points for, scoring 27.4 points per game, and sixth in points against, allowing an average of 19.6 points per game. 

5. Memorable Milestones

In Josh Jacobs’ first season with the Packers, he’s accumulated 1,285 rushing yards through 16 games with a whopping 14 rushing touchdowns. He’s also added 340 receiving yards for a total of 1,625 scrimmage yards. His 14 rushing touchdowns are the most of his career, even surpassing his 12-touchdown All-Pro season in 2022, and that’s not including his first career receiving score for a total of 15 scrimmage TDs. Last season, the entire Green Bay roster combined for 10 rushing touchdowns, and Jordan Love led the team with four himself. 

Defensively, safety Xavier McKinney has seven interceptions this season, which is second in the NFL behind only Detroit’s Kerby Joseph with nine. His seven picks are a career best, and he’s registered 10 passes defensed through 16 games. His season-high is 11, meaning he’s only one pass breakup away from tying a personal best. In 2023, the Packers roster combined for seven total interceptions all year. 

Green Bay’s passing attack is also on the cusp of some career bests. Jayden Reed needs only 31 scrimmage yards for his first 1,000-yard season, and he leads the team in receiving yards with 809. Those 809 yards have eclipsed the 793 receiving yards he posted as a rookie. 

With 31 yards on Sunday, tight end Tucker Kraft can double his output from 2023. He finished last season with 31 receptions for 355 yards and two scores. This season, he has 671 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 14.6 yards per reception. Kraft and Reed are tied with seven scrimmage touchdowns each, behind only Jacobs’ 15. 

Christian Watson also set a career best in receiving yards this season with 620, beating his rookie season high of 611 yards. With 49 yards on Sunday, if he’s able to play, he’d also establish a new scrimmage yard best, eclipsing the 691 mark he set in 2022. While he only has two touchdowns this season, he’s averaging a whopping 21.4 yards per reception which leads the team by a wide margin. 

Finally, Romeo Doubs is just 74 yards shy of posting a new career-best himself. He finished 2023 (playing in all 17 games) with 674 yards and eight touchdowns. Entering Sunday’s game and having played in only 13 games this season, Doubs has 601 yards with four scores. It’s a dynamic offense that’s provided plenty of fire power for Love this season, even without a true WR1 on the roster. 

6. Piecing Together the Playoff Puzzle

There’s a lot at stake on Sunday across the NFC, even if Green Bay’s playoff picture is pretty straightforward. The Vikings and Lions will face off on Sunday Night Football for the NFC North crown and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. There’s a lot on the line, including a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the postseason. The loser of that contest drops all the way to the fifth seed and will be traveling on Wild Card Weekend to take on whoever becomes the fourth seed. 

With Green Bay’s loss to the Vikings last weekend, the Packers can only earn the sixth or seventh seed in the NFC, and they no longer control their own destiny. With a loss to Chicago, the Packers would be locked into the seventh seed and would travel to Philadelphia next weekend to take on the No. 2 seeded Eagles in the Wild Card Round. It would be a rematch of the season opener in Brazil. 

If Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys beat the Commanders on Sunday and the Packers handle business against the Bears, then the Packers will earn the sixth seed in the playoffs. That would see them traveling to take on either the Rams or the Buccaneers, depending on who earns the third seed. (For clarity’s sake, the Buccaneers haven’t clinched the NFC South yet but are still in contention for the third seed. If Atlanta wins the NFC South, they can only do so as a fourth seed which would mean there’s no way for the Packers to play them in the Wild Card Round). 

So, depending on your playoff preferences for Green Bay and the rest of the NFC, there’s a lot to be decided on Sunday. The Packers can play either the Eagles, Rams, or Buccaneers, while the Vikings or Lions, whoever drops to the fifth seed, can play either the Buccaneers, Falcons, or Rams next week in the postseason.