
4:25 PM EST, FOX – Line: Packers -5.5, Over/Under: 50.5
The NFL couldn’t have scheduled things any better for on the final weekend of the Regular Season there are still a wealth of matters to be decided, as the Green Bay Packers travel to Soldier Field to battle the Chicago Bears with MAJOR postseason implications for both sides. Though they’ve already clinched the NFC North, the Packers (12-3, 1st in NFC North) still have plenty left to play for today, with a season sweep over their historic rivals guaranteeing them the No. One Seed in the NFC, which if you haven’t been paying attention is even more significant this season after the NFL extended the Playoffs to accommodate seven teams from each conference, with only the top seed receiving that valuable Bye in the First Round. Sure, there are no fans to attend these contests, but given the weather to be expected at Lambeau Field this time of year (which was on full display last weekend), one would have to believe that obtaining that Bye and the resulting home field advantage would be of the utmost importance to Green Bay, who certainly look to be peaking at just the right time. Since a 34-31 overtime loss at the Indianapolis Colts back on November 22nd, Matt LaFleur’s charges have won five consecutive contests, in which all but one was played at Lambeau Field. During that span they’ve averaged a healthy 33.2 points per game on 395.8 total yards, with the running game all of a sudden emerging as a secret weapon that LaFleur has unveiled on the rest of the league; Green Bay has churned out a whopping 176.0 rushing yards on 5.5 yards per carry, amassing no fewer than 120 yards in any of those outings, which is a significant improvement upon their production on the ground throughout the previous ten games, averaging 115.9 yards on 4.4 yards per carry, with just eight touchdowns in comparison to seven in this latest stretch consisting of half of the games. While (Tailback) Aaron Jones (190 CAR, 1,062 YDS, 5.6 Y/A, 8 TD) has been excellent this season en route to his first Pro Bowl, averaging 105.6 yards on a ridiculous 6.9 yards per carry, the emergence of his Rookie teammate, A.J. Dillon (45 CAR, 239 YDS, 5.3 Y/A, 2 TD), has been the story; another criticized selection in the 2020 NFL Draft (62nd Overall), Dillon has begun to play a larger role within the Offense, rumbling towards a career-high 124 yards and a score on twenty-one carries in last weekend’s 40-14 demolition of the Tennessee Titans (more on this game in a bit). At 6-0, 247 lbs, he could be the perfect complement to Jones, and with LaFleur more inclined to run the football in poor weather, look for this kid to continue to make a late impression in his rookie campaign. Of course, the improvement of the rushing attack has long been a goal for LaFleur, who could then incorporate Play-Action into the Offense, something that has long been missing. This has been a boon for Aaron Rodgers (70.3%, 4,059 YDS, 7.45 NY/A, 44 TD, 5 INT, 83.9 QBR), who even at the age of thirty-seven continues to play at an MVP level, serving as one of the few frontrunners for the award in 2020. Leading the league in touchdown passes (44) and QBR (83.9), the two-time MVP has benefitted greatly from a more balanced approach, improving statistically across the board exponentially; his completion percentage has increased from 62.0% to 70.3%, his net yards per attempt has risen from 6.15 to 7.45, while his touchdown total has gone from a respectable twenty-six to a prolific forty-four scores. Furthermore, the effect of Play-Action has been sizeable, with the veteran passer completing a surgeon-esque 72.3% of his attempts for a career-high 1,108 yards (8.3 Y/A), fifteen touchdowns, and zero interceptions when employing that stratagem. A healthy Davante Adams (109 REC, 1,328 YDS, 12.2 Y/R, 17 TD) has certainly helped his MVP candidacy, with the four-time Pro-Bowl Receiver on track for career-highs in receptions (109), receiving yards (1,328), and touchdowns (17), leading the league in that last statistic. The two have been in perfect rhythm during this winning streak, combining for forty-one catches on fifty-three targets for 481 yards (96.2 Y/G) and seven touchdowns.

When we last saw the Packers, they extended their winning streak to five games in disposing of the Tennessee Titans with relative ease, hammering the AFC South leaders in a 40-14 victory last Sunday Night. Green Bay started quickly, scoring touchdowns on their first three drives, with Rodgers and Adams hooking up on two occasions, bookending a 21-yard strike to fellow Receiver, Equanimeous St. Brown (7 REC, 117 YDS, 16.7 Y/A, 1 TD). After Tennessee managed to cut the deficit to 19-14 following consecutive drives to end the First Half and begin the second, the hosts would retake control of the affair, with Rodgers finding Adams for a third score, as the aforementioned Dillon finished the game off with back-to-back touchdowns in the Fourth Quarter. In a convoluted NFC, this performance was a convincing one for one of it’s many contenders, as they dominated a side that advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game a year ago. LaFleur’s men outgained the visitors 448-260, rushing for a whopping 234 yards, with Dillon and Jones combining for 218 yards themselves. The rushing disparity was the big story of the day, for the home side possessed the football for a commanding 36:37, which is usually Tennessee’s calling card. The Defense certainly did it’s part too, keeping 2019 Rushing Champion, Derrick Henry, to a reasonable ninety-eight yards on twenty-three carries and no scores, with his longest run being just ten yards. They also got after Ryan Tannehill, who could muster just 121 yards a touchdown and two interceptions on a dreadful 11-of-24 passing, sacking the Pro-Bowl Quarterback twice and hitting him on five occasions. It was just another day at the office for Rodgers, who effortlessly completed 21-of-25 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns in a contest literally covered in snow, with Adams hauling in eleven receptions on twelve targets for 142 yards and three scores. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good news for Green Bay who suffered a major loss in the form of (Pro-Bowl Left Tackle) David Bakhtiari, who tore his ACL in that contest. The 29-year old has done a stellar job in protecting his Quarterback’s blindside in 2020, with Rodgers suffering just nineteen sacks, which would be the fewest since becoming the starter back in 2008, and nearly half as much as last season alone (36). Now the focus will be on Chicago, whom they already humbled once this season in a 41-25 affair back on November 29th to kick off this current run. That meeting was never really close, with the Packers racing out to a 27-3 lead late in the First Half, with Rodgers throwing for 211 yards and four touchdowns while the Defense forced three turnovers in the victory. Of course, Rodgers has enjoyed quite a bit of success against his bitter division rival, owning a 19-5 record against them with fifty-two-touchdowns and twelve turnovers in twenty-four career meetings, winning each of his last three starts.

Meanwhile, though we’d forgive you if you may have forgotten about them, the Bears (8-7, 2nd in NFC North) somehow still remain in Playoff contention, and with a win tonight they will be in the Postseason for the second time in the last three years. Indeed, it’s been a strange campaign for the National Football League in general, but no team embodies that notion more than Chicago, who after getting out to a remarkable 5-1 start proceeded to lose each of it’s next six outings, only to spring back to life and win each of their last three contests heading into this Season Finale with the Packers. It’s been a proverbial rollercoaster ride for everyone involved with this franchise, particular (Quarterback) Mitchell Trubisky (65.1%, 1,803 YDS, 6.18 NY/A, 16 TD, 7 INT, 57.8 QBR), who has gone from scapegoat to backup to savior all in the span of fifteen games. The much-maligned signal-caller came into 2020 squarely on the hot seat, as (Head Coach) Matt Nagy acquired former Super Bowl MVP, Nick Foles (64.7%, 1,852 YDS, 5.17 NY/A, 10 TD, 8 INT, 43.3 QBR) to provide competition in the Quarterback room. Though he emerged as the victor in Training Camp and won each of his first two starts, Trubisky would eventually be benched late in the First Half of a Week Three meeting with the Atlanta Falcons, with Foles replacing him and rallying back his side to remarkable 30-26 victory. Clearly, Nagy had seen enough and named the veteran the starter moving forward, with the team two of their next three games. Unfortunately, any magic that Foles had left had disappeared, with the Offense floundering in spectacular fashion en route to six consecutive defeats, as the 31-year old suffered a hip injury in a 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, sidelining him indefinitely. Following the ensuing Bye Week, Trubisky would return to lead the Bears to back-to-back defeats, including that aforementioned 41-25 loss at the Packers, but has surprisingly sparked a late resurgence in the Windy City, leading them to three straight wins, with the Offense actually playing fairly well. So what’s changed for Chicago, you ask? Well, first and foremost, Nagy relinquished playcalling duties to (Offensive Coordinator) Bill Lazor about midway through the campaign, and while that transition wouldn’t net immediate results with Foles under Center, it has opened things up for Trubisky, who quite frankly has been a much better fit in this scheme than his teammate. It actually all started after the Bye against Green Bay; since that point, the Offense has been much more balanced, averaging 33.0 points per game on 387.4 total yards, including 151.4 via the run on a healthy 5.2 yards per carry. This unit had scored thirty points just once before the Bye and have strung together four consecutive wins scoring thirty or more, while rushing for over 120 yards in each affair, while failing to crack triple-digits in the seven games beforehand. While the Offensive Line has gotten healthier, Trubisky’s mobility has been a major component of their improvement, for his athleticism has afforded Lazor the luxury of simplifying the Offense and getting him out of this pocket, which wasn’t an option with Foles under center. While he’s no Lamar Jackson by any means of the imagination, the very threat of him running has opened the Offense up to other options, including (Tailback) David Montgomery (225 CAR, 1,001 YDS, 4.4 Y/A, 7 TD), who has rushed for more yards over the last five weeks than any player in the league not named Derrick Henry; the Sophomore struggled immensely throughout the first ten games, mustering a miserable 52.4 yards on 3.6 yards per attempt with just one touchdown to his credit, but since Bye has been revelation with 105.8 yards per game on 5.6 yards per carry and six touchdowns, while also playing a role in the passing game with fifteen receptions for 163 yards and another score. (Veteran Receiver) Allen Robinson (100 REC, 1,213 YDS, 12.1 Y/R, 6 TD) has also enjoyed a renaissance with Trubisky back in the saddle, hauling in thirty-seven receptions on fifty-one targets for 458 yards and three touchdowns over the last five games, ensuring his second straight 1,000-yard season with the franchise. With the benefit of hindsight, it really makes you wonder why Nagy was so intent on benching Trubisky in the first place, for this Offense is far more threatening with 26-year old running the show; In eight starts Trubisky has led the Bears to a 6-2 record averaging 29.9 points per game on 380.1 total yards, with the the rushing attack accounting for 146.4 yards, in comparison to the seven contests that Foles started with Chicago going 2-5, scoring 16.7 points on 272.1 total yards and 52.6 yards via the run. It makes you wonder where this team would be had he never been benched…

When we last saw the Bears, they put together arguably their finest offensive performance of the campaign thus far in a 41-17 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend, extending their current winning streak to three games and putting them back into the race for a Wild Card in the NFC. Though this matchup was fairly even throughout the First Half, with Chicago clinging to a narrow 13-10 lead at intermission, the visitors exploded in the Second Half, running off TWENTY-EIGHT unanswered points on four consecutive drives. Trubisky and Montgomery rushed for touchdowns on back-to-back possessions, with the Quarterback hitting (veteran Tight End) Jimmy Graham (48 REC, 451 YDS, 9.4 Y/R, 8 TD) in stride for a 22-yard score late in the Third Quarter. In the end, Nagy had to be happy with what he saw transpire, as his Offense racked up a season-high forty-one points on twenty-eight first downs and 391 total yards, including 128 rushing yards and three touchdowns on thirty-three carries, en route to possessing the football for a commanding 33:00. Trubisky was solid in completing 24-of-35 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while rushing for another score to boot, with Montgomery maintaining his torrid form with ninety-five yards and two touchdowns on twenty-three attempts. The aforementioned Robinson enjoyed his fourth 100-yard game of the season, totaling 103 yards on ten catches against his former team, with Graham accounting for both passing scores. The Defense, which has been solid throughout the season, made life miserable for the hosts, who fell to their fourteenth consecutive loss, amassing only 279 total yards on fourteen first downs, including a dismal seventy-six rushing yards on sixteen attempts, and were penalized ten times for a whopping 115 yards lost, while committing a pair of turnovers. With these three wins putting them back into the Playoff hunt, how fitting is it that their Postseason fortunes will be decided against their bitter rivals in this continuation of the longest-standing rivalry in the history of the NFL? In addition to that, this latest installment will go a long way towards shaping the futures of both Trubisky and Nagy in the Windy City, for there are no guarantees that either figure will be with the franchise past the coming weeks. Surely, a Postseason birth would build momentum towards their stay, but that only happens with a victory over Green Bay. In his career, Trubisky is just 1-5 in six career meetings with the Packers, registering eight touchdowns and seven turnovers. If he truly wishes to shed that dreaded bust label, then the former No. 2 Overall Pick in the 2017 NFL Draft needs to show out against one of the greatest to ever play the position. Good luck, Mitch…