Green Bay Packers: Preparing for the unexpected vs Bears

Sunday night’s matchup will mark the 197th meeting between the Bears and Packers, the oldest rivalry in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers started preparing for Week 1 during their closed training camp practices. Behind closed doors, there’s no telling what the Packers believe they might see to kickoff the 2018 season. The Chicago Bears have a new head coach in Matt Nagy and last Sunday’s trade for Khalil Mack strengthens an already stout defense. This Bears team is far different than years past and Green Bay may be entering into the unknown.

Nagy took over for John Fox, the defensive authority who helped lead the Denver Broncos to a win in Super Bowl XLVIII. Fox led the Bears to a non-complacent 14-34 record before ultimately being fired after his third season.

Nagy, who served as the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator from 2016-2017, is trying to reshape the 30th ranked offense from a season ago. In the offseason, the Bears added free agent wide receivers Allen Robinson and Taylor Grabriel as well as tight end Trey Burton to help second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky. They also drafted a promising prospect in receiver Anthony Miller in the second round of the 2018 draft.

When asked on Sunday how challenging it was facing a new system and new coach Mike McCarthy stated, “It’s always challenging. I think first-year coaches are probably the biggest challenge.”

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Accompany that with the addition of All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack and the Packers certainly have their hands full. Green Bay was reportedly in the conversation of acquiring the former Oakland Raider, however, Chicago ultimately won the bidding war. He’s yet another wrinkle the Packers’ have to gameplan for ahead of Sunday.

“We spent a lot of time watching tape on (Khalil) Mack yesterday,” McCarthy said. “Obviously he’s an extraordinary player and excellent addition to their football team.”

The Bears fielded a top-10 defense in 2017 and it’s only getting better. With the eighth overall pick in April’s draft, Chicago took Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith. Smith gives the Bears their first sideline to sideline presence since Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher dominated the NFL for thirteen seasons.

However, it’s still unclear to what capacity Mack and Smith will be available in Sunday’s action. Smith is still dealing with a hamstring injury while Mack has been away from football up until the last couple of days. Even though both are expected be on snap counts, they are still game changers. Smith has the athleticism to potentially neutralize tight end Jimmy Graham in coverage and Mack is expected to line up across from healing right tackle Bryan Bulaga.

Bulaga coming off his second ACL injury will start in week one, but it’s a tall task to ask him to block one of the league’s best edge rushers. Keeping Aaron Rodgers upright could be the most important component of the game.

Green Bay currently leads the all-time series with a record of 96-94-6. Rodgers has been especially dominant facing Chicago winning 16 out of 19 games throwing for 4,813 passing yards and 41 total touchdowns.

This time feels a little different though with the Bears trying to turn over a new leaf. The NFC North is arguably the NFL’s best division making a fast start all the more important. The Packers have enjoyed beating up on the Bears for the better part of the last decade, but Sunday night’s prime-time matchup is far from a gimme.

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