Clay Matthews understands the Packers-Bears rivalry as well as anybody.
He played in the last playoff meeting between these two teams, recording half a sack and a tackle for loss in the Packers' victory at Soldier Field in the 2011 NFC Championship Game. Much has changed since then, and Matthews is now long retired, but he senses an opportunity for his former team on Saturday night.
Green Bay has dropped four straight, but Chicago isn't exactly entering the playoffs with momentum, either, having lost two tough games in a row. Speaking on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, Matthews broke down why he believes the Packers will get the job done against a reeling Bears team.
"They outplayed the Bears for the majority of both those games. It came down to a fumbled onside kick, a beautiful pass by Caleb (Williams), and a myriad of other things to make it happen," said Matthews. "But the real reason why I'm sticking with the Packers besides my loyalty and bias is I think the Bears peaked. I think they overachieved, I think they're tired."
"Nobody's betting on the Packers to win this game. I know they're minus-1.5 right here, but the Bears have a home game. I think all the pressure is on them. I see the Packers going in here and getting it done."
Clay Matthews might have a Packers bias, but he's not wrong, either
There's confidence among the Packers' fanbase. While Matt LaFleur's team needs to improve on recent performances, the Bears are hardly the most formidable foe they could run into. Matthews is right.
Sure, he is always going to lean toward the Packers. He's a franchise legend who made a career of destroying the Bears, but it's hard to find any lies in his prediction. He's correct.
Matthews makes some great points. The Packers did outplay the Bears in both contests. They held a 14-3 halftime lead in Week 14 and fought off a second-half rally. Then, in Week 16, even with Jordan Love out of the game, Malik Willis made it look easy and gave Green Bay a comfortable 10-point lead late in the fourth. It took a meltdown for the ages for the Packers to lose that game.
What's even more interesting is Matthews' belief that the Bears are "tired." They sure looked it a week ago against the Detroit Lions.
The Lions had lost three in a row entering Week 18 and turned the ball over six times the week before. They were finished. Yet they marched into Soldier Field and put up 433 total yards in an upset win. It was a hard-fought, physical game.
And now the Bears have to bounce back on just six days of recovery, whereas the majority of the Packers' starters sat out of their Week 18 game. They will be well rested.
Both teams are on losing runs and something has to give. The Bears may have peaked too early and prove to be a team that has arrived a year too soon. But the Packers have to prove that, which won't be easy given all the injuries they're dealing with.
Challenging conditions (with potential snow) could also favor Chicago, who will look to run the ball early and often.
But there's undoubtedly a sense of quiet optimism among Packers fans. This Bears team is flawed, as we've already seen this season. It won't be easy, and Green Bay must play its best football, but Matthews' opinion is right and echoes the feeling of many Packers fans this week.
This Bears team is undoubtedly beatable, and the Packers have a golden opportunity to end their season.