Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears: 5 players in the spotlight
The Green Bay Packers take on the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and here are five players who will be in the spotlight throughout the contest.
The NFL regular season is nearly upon us with the start of Week 1 just days away. The Green Bay Packers will get a taste of the NFC North right away as they take on the Chicago Bears. It should provide an early litmus test for both teams. Furthermore, it will give us a good indication, our first indication, about the quality of this team. In order to begin preparing ourselves, here are five players who will be in the spotlight come Week 1.
Adrian Amos/Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
The two safeties indirectly swapped teams this offseason with Clinton-Dix signing with the Bears and Amos doing the same with the Packers. There’s been an ongoing rift between the two fan bases on social media as to which safety is better. Bears’ Director of Player Personnel even said they consistently graded Clinton-Dix as the better safety.
Amos will get his opportunity to prove them wrong on Thursday night, and you can bet he’ll have an extra chip on his shoulder. It was an unnecessary comment by Chicago’s brass and one that certainly rubbed Amos the wrong way. Which player will step up for their new team?
Aaron Jones
Aaron Jones didn’t play in the preseason, as he battled an injury during the early part of Training Camp. Hopefully, he’s at full strength in Week 1, as the Packers will likely lean heavily on the run game throughout the season. Jones is the Packers’ most dynamic running back and they’ll need him if they want to reach their full potential. It will be fun to see what he brings to the table right away.
Za’Darius Smith
The Packers’ prize free agent is looking to have a breakout campaign in his first season in Green Bay. Smith wasn’t a full-time player with the Baltimore Ravens, but that will all change this season. The Packers will be counting on him to have a huge impact each and every week. Let’s see how he endears himself to fans in Week 1.
Khalil Mack
Green Bay struggled to contain Khalil Mack in Week 1 last year, as he dominated the action. The Packers can’t allow that to happen again. Mack will likely line up all over the field which will make it difficult to zero in on him. Still. David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga must be on their A-game in order to even try to neutralize the All-Pro.
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Aaron Rodgers
Per usual, the game will come down to one player: Aaron Rodgers. The Packers trailed 20-0 last year before Rodgers began a magic run and pulled his team from the depths of despair. It’s not advisable to take the same route this year. If Rodgers can stay upright, he should be able to do some nice things against the Bears’ defense. However, that’s a big “if.”