Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers – Week 18 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (4-12) absolute train-wreck of a season mercifully comes to an end this Sunday at Lambeau Field against the rival Packers. The tumultuous year featured the firing of an offensive coordinator and a head coach amid a 10-game losing streak that could reach 11 this week.
Chicago’s roster has been wildly disappointing and a makeshift offensive line has left first-overall pick Caleb Williams badly exposed at quarterback. The USC draft pick has been sacked a whopping 67 times in his rookie season, leaving it almost impossible to evaluate his performance in 2024.
There is a palpable fear among the fanbase that the dysfunction at Halas Hall will lead to another bad coaching hire. The organization has been unable to fill the shoes of Love Smith, who was fired over a decade ago and is the last Bears coach with a winning record. The seat is also incredibly hot under General Manager Ryan Poles who’s flawed roster has imploded down the stretch.
The Packers (11-5), meanwhile, have clinched a Wild Card spot and will either be the sixth or seventh seed based on the outcome of this game. Since there are at least mild stakes for Green Bay they will start quarterback Jordan Love and star running back Josh Jacobs but it’s unclear if they will play the entire way.
The results Sunday mean absolutely nothing for the Bears and it feels like there’s going to be massive turnover in the roster this off-season. Frankly, it’s pretty debatable whether or not Williams should even play behind such a bad line and take more unnecessary hits. The good news is after this weekend’s contest Chicago can finally move on and try to put forward a much better squad in 2025.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, January 5 at 12:00pm CT on FOX, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Hope the Packers pull their starters. The Bears look completely lost right now and honestly their best chance is probably to face the Packers backups in the second half.
- Try somehow to give some pass protection to Williams. Chicago’s QB was absolutely under siege against the Seahawks. If they want to do anything in this final game they have to block.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Bears are 10-point underdogs up in Green Bay Sunday. The oddsmakers think it’s going to be a low-scoring affair with the over/under set at 41.5.
It’s Football Weather
It’s going to be cold and clear at Lambeau Field with mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of 21.
My Prediction
Chicago will finish bottoming out in the new year with a 11th consecutive defeat. The Packers will jump out to an early lead and be able to rest some starters in the second half. It will eventually finish up with a 35-14 win for the home team.
Official Bears Preview
Thomas Brown joins Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer on Bears, etc. Podcast to discuss what to watch for as the Bears prepare to face their NFC North rivals.
