The NFC North hangs in the balance. Can the Green Bay Packers reclaim the lead without their star pass-rusher, Micah Parsons, or will the Chicago Bears win at home?
If you thought the last game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears was a big one, this one in Week 16 makes that one look like a scrimmage.
The 9-4-1 Packers take on the 10-4 Chicago Bears from Soldier Field on Saturday night, and you can make a case that this is the de facto NFC North title game.
The Packers beat the Bears two weekends ago to wrestle their grip of the division away, but last weekend, the Packers lost to the Denver Broncos while the Bears blew out the Cleveland Browns. That put Chicago back into the driver's seat in the division, despite the fact that the Pack are 4-0 against NFC North opponents this season.
Without a doubt, bigger than the loss against Denver was the loss of superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons for the Packers, though. He'll be gone for at least the next nine months because of a torn ACL and the Packers will have to find a way to re-ignite their Super Bowl hopes without him.
Beating the Bears again and re-taking the North would be a great first step for Green Bay, but Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams and the Bears aren't going to make it easy.
With all that in mind, here's all the info you need leading up to the game:
Game Time:
7:20 PM Lambeau Time
TV Channel:
FOX
Betting Odds:
Bears -1.5 per DRAFTKINGS, O/U 45.5
Key Matchup: Packers' pass-rush vs. Caleb Williams
It's simple. The Packers have to find a way to generate a pass-rush without Micah Parsons, and while that's going to be easier said than done, it's not impossible.
First off, Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness must step up. They're former first round picks and have to start playing like it. Secondly, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is going to have to manufacture pressure via blitzes and schemes.
He can't just rush four and let Williams, who is becoming a good quarterback, pick the Packers' mediocre secondary apart.
If the Packers can sack Williams a few times, though, they'll likely walk away with a win.
Key Quote: Packers DC Jeff Hafley on Micah Parsons' comeback
"Just knowing who he is, just wait until you guys see how hard he works to come back, how fast he probably comes back. If I were a betting man, I would bet that he comes back even better and probably breaks the sack record next year. So I'm going to put that on Micah and myself, and you guys can put it out there, and that's the confidence I have in him," Hafley said.
Prediction:
Packers 34, Bears 27