The Green Bay Packers had one of the most disappointing performances of any team in the NFL in Week 1 of the 2022 season. While they had a tall task going on the road to face their NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, they looked like a team that wasn’t ready to play.
Offensively they were out of sync as numerous starters and key pieces were missing from the lineups. That isn’t too concerning, as things should look better once they are healthy and as long as Aaron Rodgers is under center, they should find success.
What was concerning was the performance of the defense. Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson torched the Green Bay secondary as he caught nine passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. They were also steamrolled on the ground as the Vikings ran for 126 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
The Packers will now be returning to the friendly confines of Lambeau Field and facing off with another divisional rival in the Chicago Bears. Chicago is coming into the game riding high after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1.
What can we expect to see from the Packers this week? Here are three bold predictions for them in their Week 2 matchup against the Bears.
3. A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones Have Monster Day
The Packers’ offense was not clicking against the Vikings in Week 1, but that was not because of the running backs. Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon were the only consistent sources of production in the game, they were just taken out of it because of the game script.
Jones ran the ball five times for 49 yards, adding three receptions for 27 yards. Dillon handled 10 carries, gaining 45 yards and caught a team-high five passes for 46 yards. They should be able to once again find plenty of room to operate this week.
Before injuring his knee, Elijah Mitchell had churned out 41 yards on only six carries, gashing the Bears’ defense. Deebo Samuel averaged a healthy 6.5 yards per carry as well, totaling 52 yards and a score. Trey Lance led the team in rushing with 54 yards on 13 attempts.
As long as the game doesn’t get away from them again, the Packers should lean into their running game. Jones and Dillon will get plenty of chances to produce in this game, as they will combine for at least 200 total yards.
2. Pass Rush Wakes Up
The Green Bay front seven was unable to generate much pressure last week as Kirk Cousins had a clean pocket for the majority of the afternoon. On 32 dropbacks he was only sacked once, but he was hit eight times.
The Packers got close a few times but couldn’t finish the play. This week against the Bears, that will not be the case. Despite shocking everyone with their performance in Week 1, as Chicago had one of the top-rated offensive lines, Justin Fields still had a sack rate of nine percent.
Getting sacked twice and hit three times when you drop back only 17 times is not encouraging. Expect the Packers’ pass rush to get home on multiple occasions, putting the Bears’ anemic offense behind the sticks.
Rashan Gary is a name to watch here. He was by far the best defender the Packers had in Week 1, totaling seven tackles, one for loss, with one sack and two quarterback hits. He should be able to live in the Bears’ backfield even with the strides they showed in Week 1.
1. Aaron Rodgers Bounces Back
In 2021, the Packers were slaughtered on the road by the New Orleans Saints, losing 38-3. Many people questioned if they were on a downslide, but they ended up winning 13 games for the third consecutive season.
After a tough opening week, they were able to beat up on the Detroit Lions at home in Week 2, winning 35-17 and setting the tone for the remainder of the season. They would score at least 24 points in seven consecutive games until Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the lineup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9.
This season, it will be more of the same. Green Bay will take advantage of a weaker division opponent and jump-start the season. Rodgers will be the catalyst and get on track against the Bears in Week 2.
He made some comments after the game that certainly garnered the attention of his teammates and they will bounce back ready to go. Rodgers will surpass the 300-yard plateau. He will go back to Christian Watson early again and this time he won’t drop a would-be touchdown, getting the first score of his career.
