Green Bay Packers to face a wounded Chicago Bears team
Finally, the bye weekend has come and gone and we look forward to the Green Bay Packers getting back into action next Sunday when they host NFC North Division rival Chicago Bears.
That might be music to Packers fans everywhere, but we need to tread lightly here.
This will be a rematch with the same Bears team that ran up and down Soldier Field a month ago, dominating the the offensive statistics, running up a whole bunch of yards on the ground, chewing up much of the game clock, but still getting beat up 38-17 by the Packers.
It’s the same Bears team that is now sitting with a 3-5 record, while the 5-3 Packers reeled off four of five wins before the bye to stay in the hunt for the NFC North title, trailing only the 6-2 Detroit Lions.
Coupled with the fact that the Bears just haven’t been playing very well lately is the notion that things are unraveling for the Bears, not only in the locker room and among the players, but with their head coach.
Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman on the sidelines against the Miami Dolphins in the second half of their game at Soldier Field. Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports photograph
A report yesterday by Dawindycity.com’s has been among those that recently surfaced that the Bears are in a state of turmoil; that the players have begun to tune out second-year coach Marc Trestman; that the players view him more as a coordinator than a head coach; and that Trestman, if the team doesn’t turn its fortunes in the final half of the season, will be gone from the Windy City.
That might be music to Packers fans everywhere, but we need to tread lightly here. Let’s not lose our focus and let’s be sure we don’t R-E-L-A-X too much.
After all, this is the Chicago Bears.
Yes, we have watched Jay Cutler go from a QB that some said could be an MVP-caliber player this season to one who has fallen into a turnover machine. He’s thrown eight interceptions in 2014 and six over the course of the past five weeks.
And because of that, the team has gone down to defeat the past month to Carolina, Miami and New England. Their only win came against a not-so-good Atlanta Falcons squad.
Most notably, those last two losses to Miami and New England were blowouts early in the game before the Bears could wake from their hibernation.
As for Trestman, the Minnesota native who saw huge success north of the border in the Canadian Football League, came to Chicago sporting an offensive system that should have lit fireworks in the sky given that he had players like Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte, Martellus Bennett and Jay Cutler.
But it hasn’t happened. Something has been missing.
If we are to believe Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Bears are a team in disarray. Here’s how he described it this past week:
"Trestman, a bright offensive mind who was hired away from Montreal of the Canadian Football League, has resonated with players more like a coordinator than a head coach, sources said, and that dynamic coupled with the issues in the locker room has created a toxic environment. At 3-5 the Bears face an uphill climb to reach the playoffs and tensions could remain high there for the duration of the season."
Again, we have to be careful here. This is the Chicago Bears, the Packers’ NFC rival that always plays Green Bay tough at home, a team that will come into Lambeau Field backed up against the wall.
This team will be like a caged animal fighting its way to freedom. You can bet the players have read the reports, that Trestman is aware of what’s going on and will do anything to win.
After all, should the Bears pull the upset at Lambeau they would automatically be reconsidered in the discussion of teams to watch.
On the other hand, this is the Packers’ opportunity to put an opponent down and take the season sweep from their rival.
Both teams come off the bye week refreshed and facing a whole new season – the second half of a season yet to be written.
Which Green Bay Packers defense will show up Sunday? Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports photograph
While the Bears have been beaten soundly in recent weeks, the Packers themselves come out of the bye with many questions yet to be answered – mostly on the defensive side of the ball.
This is an opportunity once again for the Packers to turn their fortunes at the expense of a team we love to beat. In addition, with four of their next five games in the home confines of Lambeau Field, there hasn’t been a better scenario for Green Bay to start their run toward the playoffs.
But first, they have to dispatch of this wounded Bears team this week.
Stay tuned.