The Packers and Bears split two exciting meetings in the regular season.
It has been rare that the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have been good at the same time. That’s a reason they’ve met just twice in the playoffs, and once came all the way back in 1941.
Chicago and Green Bay are both good now, and the longtime rivals might remain competitive for a while.
The NFL putting Packers vs. Bears in a coveted Saturday prime-time slot isn’t just for nostalgia and grainy footage of Vince Lombardi and Dick Butkus. These are two well-matched foes who just happen to have the longest rivalry in the NFL. Amazon Prime Video is expecting a good matchup for its broadcast, and there’s a good chance these two teams deliver a fantastic game for the third time this season.
Previous meetings this season
The Packers and Bears have already had two memorable meetings this season. In Week 14, the Bears had a chance to score a touchdown in the final minute of a game the Packers led 28-21. But on a fourth down Caleb Williams threw to the end zone and it was picked off by Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon with 22 seconds left, and Green Bay held on.
In a Week 16 rematch, the Packers led 16-6 with two minutes left despite Jordan Love leaving the game in the first half with a concussion. But the Bears got a field goal, an onside kick, and then a touchdown on fourth down to tie it. In overtime the Packers fumbled a fourth-and-1 snap, and then Williams hit DJ Moore for a walk-off 46-yard touchdown.
If the third meeting matches that drama, everyone will be happy.
Health update
Resting starters was good for a Packers team that has a lot of long-term injuries. They had nobody miss practice on Wednesday. Running back Josh Jacobs, who has been dealing with a knee injury, wasn’t on the injury report at all. The Bears could get receiver Rome Odunze back from a foot injury. He has been limited this week. The team is expecting to get cornerback Kyler Gordon back. He was on injured reserve but returned to practice this week.
The head coaches
Ben Johnson ignited a personal rivalry when he was hired as Bears coach, saying in his introductory meeting with the media, “I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.” That was in reference to Johnson’s time as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator. LaFleur has mostly taken the high road since that comment, but it’s hard to believe he doesn’t want to beat Johnson for a second time in Johnson’s first season as Bears coach.
Key player for the Packers
Jordan Love hasn’t played since Dec. 20, when he suffered a concussion on a penalized hit by Bears defensive end Austin Booker. Love sat for the rest of that game and Week 17, and was rested in Week 18. Love has had a good, efficient season and will need to be at his best against the Bears. Green Bay has some defensive issues since losing Micah Parsons to a torn ACL and even though the last meeting between the Bears and Packers was low scoring, it seems likely that the Packers will need to score plenty to win. Josh Jacobs is a key component in that too, but Love’s play will determine if the Packers move on.
Key player for the Bears
The Bears took Colston Loveland 10th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, ahead of Tyler Warren, and for much of a season Loveland hadn’t had a major impact. He has come on strong late in the season, with 94 and 91 yards in Chicago’s last two games. The Bears could get Rome Odunze back from a foot injury, Luther Burden III is also playing well late in his rookie season and DJ Moore is the more reliable veteran star among the receivers. But Loveland has carved out a big role late in the season and that should continue into the playoffs.
Prediction
The Packers are a 1-point road favorite, and the small spread is appropriate. This game feels like a toss up. The Packers and Bears split in the regular season but both games could have gone either way. It’s a tough call, but the Packers getting extra rest in Week 18 might matter. They’ll have Jordan Love and a rested Josh Jacobs, which wasn’t the case when the Bears came back to beat the Packers in Week 16. That could make the difference in a close game.
Packers 21, Bears 17
Category: General Sports
