It’s curtains close on a frustrating season for the Chicago Bears on Sunday evening in Green Bay. Both the Bears and the Packers are playing for something on Sunday. Green Bay is playing for playoff seeding. A win and a Washington Commanders loss set the Packers up with a wild card matchup in Los Angeles against the Rams. A loss for Green Bay assures they’ll head to Philadelphia for a first-round matchup with the Eagles.
That matters, which is why Packers head coach Matt LaFleur plans to play his healthy starters on Sunday when the lowly Bears come to town.
As for the Bears, they’re also playing for seeding—in the reverse standings.
If Chicago wins, they could drop to No. 10 in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft (with a New Orleans win at Tampa Bay). If they lose, they could move up as high as No. 5 with some help from the Panthers, Jaguars, Raiders, and Jets.
That matters, even though no one at Halas Hall will admit such.
But what matters most to me is Caleb Williams ending his rookie season, which has seen some intense peaks and valleys, with a victory against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Snapping a ten-game losing streak (the second longest in franchise history) and doing so against the hated Packers at Lambeau Field would be an ideal finish for Williams’ season.
Lovie Smith once said beating the Packers should be a top priority for the Chicago Bears. It’s no surprise that Chicago has only won in Green Bay once since Smith was fired. When Smith was here, he won in Green Bay four times with Brian Griese and Rex Grossman.
Jay Cutler was the last Bears quarterback to beat the Packers at Lambeau a decade ago in 2015. Williams nearly beat Green Bay on his first try in November. He would have had it not been for a blocked, would-be game-winning field goal. Now, this time in Green Bay, he gets another crack at it with something on the line for the Packers.
Root for draft positioning all you want (I don’t blame you at this point), but I’ll be rooting for Williams to spoil Green Bay’s afternoon at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
© Daniel Bartel-Imagn ImagesGame Info
Chicago Bears (4-12) vs. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
TV: FOX (Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston)Streaming: NFL+ *Radio: ESPN 1000 AM (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Jason McKie)
Kickoff Time: Noon CTSite: Lambeau Field; Green Bay, WI.Referee: Clay MartinOdds: Packers -10, O/U 41 (via DraftKings)
Bears Projected Starters
Offense
QB – Caleb Williams RB – D’Andre Swift WR – DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze TE – Cole Kmet OL – Larry Borom, Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, Matt Pryor, Darnell WrightDefense
DL – Montez Sweat, Zacch Pickens, Gervon Dexter Sr., DeMarcus Walker LB – T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds CB – Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon S – Kevin Byard III, Jonathan OwensSpecialists
Cairo Santos (kicker), Tory Taylor (punter, holder), Scott Daly (long snapper), Josh Blackwell (kick and punt returner) Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn ImagesGreen Bay Packers Projected Starters
Offense
QB – Jordan Love RB – Josh Jacobs WR – Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson TE – Tucker Kraft OL – Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Meyers, Sean Rhyan, Zach TomDefense
DL – Lukas Van Ness, Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Rashan Gary LB – Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie CB – Carrington Valentine, Keisean Nixon, Javon Bullard S – Xavier McKinney, Evan WilliamsSpecialists
Brandon McManus (kicker), Daniel Whelan (punter, holder), Matt Orzech (long snapper), Keisean Nixon (kick and punt returner)Three Bears
Every week, our Chicago Bears writers will give you their Bears player to watch in the matchup ahead. Three Bears is a staple of these previews, and with Bears coverage expanding this season, I thought it would be cool to involve all of the Bears thinkers in the exercise.
Matt Rooney: Caleb Williams – One more chance to turn some heads in his rookie season. Make sure it’s for the right reasons. The Bears won’t win this game, but hopefully, Caleb can at least give them a chance to do so.
© Talia Sprague-Imagn ImagesLuis Medina: Jaylon Johnson – Maybe earning Pro Bowl starter status this week will nudge CB1 to finish the year on a high note against the Bears’ top nemesis at Lambeau Field.
Patrick Flowers: Caleb Williams – One more game before Caleb Williams’ rookie season ends, and it’s against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Williams has made a habit of doing things his predecessors couldn’t this season, and he can add another big one to the list on Sunday. If he can beat the Packers at Lambeau, he’ll become the first Bears quarterback to do so since Jay Cutler did it in 2015.
In the last 25 years, only seven Bears quarterbacks have beaten the Packers at Lambeau Field. Cutler beat them once in 2015, Josh McCown did so in 2013, Brian Griese and Rex Grossman did it twice in 2006-07 and 2004-05, respectively, and Cade McNown accomplished the feat in 2000. Getting Lambeau win No. 1 on Sunday would go a long way toward Williams becoming the winningest Bears quarterback at Lambeau. Since the Super Bowl Shuffle days, only Jim Harbaugh (3), Jim McMahon (2), Rex Grossman (2), and Brian Griese (2) have beaten the Packers on the road multiple times.
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