Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers – Week 16 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (10-4) crushed a bad Cleveland Browns team last week to win their 10th game of the season and position themselves to move back firmly into first place with a victory against the rival Packers Saturday. Green Bay (9-4-1) just beat Chicago at Lambeau Field two weeks ago to take the top spot in the NFC North but then they lost in Denver to move back into a virtual tie with Ben Johnson’s squad.
The Pack suffered a major blow against the Broncos when All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL, ending his season. His addition to the lineup had given a huge boost to a defense that had been fairly pedestrian in 2024. The Bears have their own injury issues, however, with wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III out Saturday.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love has played better in the second half of the season but he is still inconsistent at times. Running back Josh Jacobs had a huge game against Chicago in Week 14 both on the ground and receiving. They hit several big plays in that contest that ended up being the difference in the outcome.
Bears QB Caleb Williams had one of his best games against Cleveland and seems to be gaining confidence. Even without Parsons on the other side, Williams has a tough task with some of his own weapons unavailable.
This is shaping up to be a very close game just like the first meeting this season. Chicago still has a chance for the number one seed in the NFC but they also could miss the playoffs if they don’t win at least one of their last three games. There is a lot at stake, it’s time to see if the Bears are really ready for prime time or not.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Saturday, December 20 at 7:20pm CT on FOX, 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.
- Keep getting Colston Loveland involved in the offense. The rookie tight end has emerged as a major weapon the past few weeks. He is a matchup nightmare and will need to have a big game for the Bears to win.
- Try to limit big plays through the air for the Packers. Love connected on a couple of long touchdown passes in their win and Chicago needs to prevent that in this game.
- Come out on top in the turnover battle. The Bears did not have their typical turnover advantage at Lambeau with each team collecting just one interception. Chicago’s bend but don’t break defense does not hold up well if it doesn’t force giveaways.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Bears are favored by 1.5 points against the Packers at Soldier Field Saturday night. Vegas oddsmakers expect fairly average scoring game with the over/under set at 46.5.
It’s Football Weather
The forecast for kickoff in Chicago on Saturday night is 33 degrees with clear skies and 14 mile an hour wind out of the west.
My Prediction
This is going to be another very close game between two evenly matched opponents. Unfortunately for the Bears, the game will be decided by special teams and a potential game-winning field goal will be missed by Cairo Santos resulting in the Packers winning 23-21.
Official NFL Preview
Here is the official preview of the Packers-Bears game from the NFL.
