The Chicago Bears will host the Green Bay Packers in Week 6 in what could be a vital divisional matchup down the road. The Bears come into this game with a 3-2 record after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. The Packers have a 4-1 record as they’ve now won four straight games following a dismal performance in Week 1 versus the New Orleans Saints.
By looking anywhere, you can see that the Packers are favored to win this game versus the Bears. For me, there aren’t many scenarios where I see Chicago being able to secure a win over their NFC North foes.
That being said, here are five reasons why the Bears could pull out the upset victory over the Packers in Week 6.
Packers Are Without Jaire Alexander
On the defensive side of the ball, Jaire Alexander is the best player on the Packers. However, Alexander is sidelined with a shoulder injury and it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to return this season. With Alexander absent from the secondary, the Bears could advantage of Green Bay’s defense through the air.
Even though Chicago has yet to allow Justin Fields to attempt more than 24 passes in a game, this could be the week that the rookie signal-caller gets more opportunities to throw the ball.
Jaylon Johnson Could Have A Chance To Slow Down Davante Adams
The defense of the Bears got off to a slow start versus the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. Since then, Chicago’s defense has shown improvement, especially in the passing game. More specifically, Jaylon Johnson has played phenomenal for the Bears this season.
In coverage this season, Johnson has allowed a 44 percent completion percentage and a 51.6 passer rating when targeted. While containing Davante Adams is easier said than done, Johnson could be someone that could make life tougher on Adams.
Of course, Chicago is likely going to play bracket coverage on Adams, so Johnson won’t be the only guy tasked with slowing down Adams.
Bears Could Have Success Running The Ball
The Bears are shorthanded at running back this week with David Montgomery and Damien Williams expected to be sidelined. Montgomery is dealing with a knee injury while Williams was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday. That sets up rookie Khalil Herbert to be the lead back for the Bears in Week 6.
While the Packers have been better against the run than in recent years, they are still a group that can be taken advantage of on the ground. The best defense to slow down Aaron Rodgers is to keep him off of the field by controlling the time of possession.
If the Bears can have success running the ball, they can keep it closer than expected on Sunday.
Justin Fields Could Hit His Stride At Any Moment
Once again, Matt Nagy has yet to fully unleash Fields this season as he’s attempted 24 or fewer passes in each of his starts. While Fields hasn’t had many chances to put the ball in the air, he could find his stride at any moment this season. This could be the week that Fields finds his rhythm in the passing game as the Packers are shorthanded in the secondary.
Outplaying Rodgers is going to be tough to do for any quarterback, let alone a rookie signal-caller. Even though Fields might not outperform Rodgers on Sunday, we may see Fields have his best game of the season in Week 6.
Chicago’s Defense Could Create Pressure On Aaron Rodgers
Besides the emergence of Johnson in the secondary, the Bears have created pressure consistently this season. Through the first five weeks, Chicago leads the league with 18 sacks as a defense. Furthermore, in the past three weeks, the Bears have totaled 12 sacks.
While Rodgers typically gets the ball out quickly, Chicago could create pressure on him in certain situations. If the Bears can force a turnover or two on Rodgers, they could put themselves in a position to potentially upset the Packers at home.
