The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers had been two of the five best teams in the NFC. Now, they will face off on Saturday night at Soldier Field for control of the NFC North with only three games left.
This is the biggest regular-season game for the Bears in a long time. There have been some big playoff games here and there, but it is hard to find a regular-season game of this magnitude in the last decade. The 2013 game with the division on the line against these Packers comes to mind, but that was 12 years ago.
Chicago hasn’t done a lot of winning, so there isn’t much competition for the biggest game, but every NFL fan comes into the year hoping that a game against their arch-rival could have all the chips on the line. It’s better than already looking at mock drafts with multiple weeks still left in the season.
In every game, a team needs certain players to step up to the plate in order for the team to win. For the Bears, these five stick out:
QB Caleb Williams
It isn’t breaking news that the starting quarterback is a player to keep an eye on. How does Caleb Williams handle this pressure? How does he play when hosting a playoff game and possibly the fate of the season on the line? He says he doesn’t get nervous, but do we believe him? Williams has beaten the Packers once before, but he’s also lost to them twice. This is a chance to take the torch from them and give it back to Chicago. He won’t have Micah Parsons chasing him around, which should make his life easier than it was in their last matchup. Expect Williams to do whatever Ben Johnson asks of him in an effort to win.
WR DJ Moore
The Bears are once again going to be without Rome Odunze and now rookie Luther Burden III. Although Odunze is seen as the No. 1 receiver on this team these days, he isn’t the only talented one on the roster. DJ Moore has been a top receiver in the past, and he’s been great with Odunze out. In fact, he was Chicago’s best offensive weapon against the Cleveland Browns one week ago. It is on Williams to do what is necessary to find Moore, but the star receiver must make a few plays to help this team win. With some of the injuries that Green Bay is dealing with on defense, things could open up for him again in this one.
LB Tremaine Edmunds
The Bears are going to have a hard time trying to contain Josh Jacobs again, assuming he plays. One of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL will try everything he can to will this Packers team to victory. Jordan Love is a great quarterback, and he has some nice weapons, but it all clicks better when Jacobs is going strong. Tremaine Edmunds, who is coming off injured reserve this weekend, can play a big role in Jacobs being ineffective on the ground. Edmunds missed four games with a groin injury, which landed him on injured reserve, but he may be back just in time to help this team in an area where they need him most. Linebacker has become a depth position in the NFL, but nobody is denying that good ones can make an impact. Edmunds is a good one and will be asked to do a lot in his return. If he can come back like he hasn’t missed a beat, he will be a must-watch for all of the reasons laid out.
DE Montez Sweat
The Bears pay Montez Sweat a lot of money. He is nowhere close to living up to those expectations, but he doesn’t have much help around him in terms of a pass rush either. If Sweat can impact this game and make Jordan Love uncomfortable on most plays, then the Bears will be happy with him this season. Winning this game is that important. Sweat doesn’t need to go out there and be Parsons, but he can get off the line quickly and make Love think twice about holding onto the ball for too long. This could force mistakes, including Love’s lone interception thrown in the previous meeting.
TE Colston Loveland
Cole Kmet is questionable for Saturday night, and Colston Loveland needs to be a great target for Williams on offense. With some of the other injuries to passing target weapons, Loveland is an important asset to the young quarterback. Loveland has taken some time to get going, but part of that is the offense that he’s a part of needed time to adjust to Johnson and what he expects out of them. As the years go on, Loveland will become even more crucial to the operation. This is the type of game that Loveland, making a big play, could turn the tide in favor of the Bears. He is a mismatch nightmare a lot of the time, which might be just what Williams needs from his tight end to beat the Packers. If Kmet plays, then the two will be that much more dangerous having each other for a two-tight-end set.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 Bears players to watch vs. Packers
Reporting by Vincent Parise, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
