Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers – NFC Wild Card Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The regular season is now over and the NFC North division champion Bears (11-6) begin the playoffs Saturday night with a matchup at Soldier Field against the rival Packers in the Wild Card round. It’s Chicago’s first trip to the postseason since 2020 when they got bounced by New Orleans at the Superdome in the first round but this time they will be hosting as the number two seed, despite losing their final two games.
Green Bay (9-7-1) was in excellent shape with a 9-3-1 record before losing four consecutive games to end the year and fall all the way to the number seven seed. That coincided with the loss of star pass rusher Micah Parsons to an ACL tear and then a concussion to quarterback Jordan Love.
Love has recovered and will lead an offense that can be explosive at times but is also sometimes inconsistent. Running back Josh Jacobs has been good and has had time to recover from some nagging injuries the past couple weeks. Both main receiving weapons, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, will play Saturday and can be game breakers.
Even without Parsons, the Packers defense is formidable, allowing 21.2 points a game during the season. The secondary is in the top 10 when it comes to yards allowed in 2025 although that might be impacted by a diminished pass rush. The Bears offense came to life late in the Week 16 matchup, storming back for a victory that decided the division.
Chicago is also returning to health with both WR Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III returning to the lineup. Odunze has been out for several weeks and will be a major boost to quarterback Caleb Williams who has formed a strong connection with him.
Both meetings this year have come down to the wire with each squad pulling out a victory at home. The playoffs are always unpredictable but it’s even more intense when it’s a grudge match between two long-standing rivals like the Bears and Packers. Amazingly, this is only the third postseason game between them in nearly 80 years of NFL playoff football.
Ben Johnson has brought his team a long way in just one season at the helm with a six-win improvement over 2024. Now they have a chance to turn a good year into a great one if they can go on a playoff run. Almost as important as a potential Super Bowl are the bragging rights at stake between the two fan bases, it’s time to see who gets the glory all offseason long.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Saturday, January 10 at 7:00pm CT on Amazon Prime, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Saturday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Try to get an early lead. Chicago has struggled all season long with falling behind early in games. They have done a terrific job battling back in most of those contests but they would make it much easier on themselves if they didn’t go into a hole in the first half.
- Get the run game going. The Packers have had a couple games where they really struggled to stop the rush, including, against the Ravens and Derrick Henry. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai need to get touches early and often.
- Pressure Love as much as possible. Green Bay’s quarterback hasn’t played in three weeks and will probably be rusty. The Bears can make that return even more difficult if they can harass him in the pocket.
- Keep winning the turnover battle. Chicago has done a great job generating turnovers during the regular season and it’s even more important in the playoffs. Coming out on top Saturday will go a long way to victory.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Bears are 1.5 point underdogs at home against the Packers Saturday night. Vegas oddsmakers are expecting an average scoring output with the over/under set at 44.5.
It’s Football Weather
The forecast for Soldier Field Saturday night is 30 with partly cloudy skies and a west wind at 16 miles an hour.
My Prediction
The first two games between these teams have been very close and there’s no reason to believe this one will be any different. The Bears will fall behind again like they have so often in 2025 before fighting back and tying the score. The game will come down to the right foot of Cairo Santos and this time Chicago will succeed on a last second playoff field goal attempt winning 24-21.
Official NFL Preview
Here is the official preview of the Bears-Packers Wild Card game from the NFL.
