Sunday’s meeting between the host Green Bay Packers and Chicago marks the first time that the Bears have visited their longtime rivals in the regular-season finale in successive years.
Darned if this one doesn’t feel similarly sunny for the playoff-bound Packers (11-5) and eerily murky for the Bears (4-12).
The Packers, who can move up to the No. 6 seed in the NFC with a victory and a Washington loss at Dallas, announced this week that cornerback Jaire Alexander needs season-ending surgery on his right knee.
“He was trying to get his knee right and it wasn’t getting right,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said. “It’s a tough deal for everyone. It stinks that we’re here, but we’re here.”
Green Bay has shown it can win without him. Alexander hasn’t played since Nov. 17 when he left the Packers’ 20-19 win at Chicago after playing 10 snaps.
That victory sparked a run of five wins in seven games for Green Bay, with the lone losses coming by a combined five points to NFC North co-leaders Detroit and Minnesota.
While Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love hasn’t thrown an interception in six straight games, he aims to improve his accuracy and deep-play ability.
“Definitely stuff to clean up and keep working on and get better at, and that’s the mindset,” Love said.
Chicago is seeking to snap a 10-game losing streak that dates to Week 8 as well as an 11-game skid against the Packers. The Bears are 0-5 this season against their NFC North counterparts.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Bears tight end Cole Kmet said. “That’s just being honest about where we’re at and where the division’s at — three really good teams right now, and they’re all playing their own style, their own really good brand of football.”
The Bears were 7-9 and out of the playoff hunt when they visited the Packers to close last season. They also knew they had the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft by virtue of a previous trade with the Carolina Panthers.
Chicago used that pick on quarterback Caleb Williams, who has set Bears rookie passing records for yards (3,393), touchdowns (19) and completions (330) amid significant coaching turnover that includes the firings of head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
Williams also has been sacked an NFL-high 67 times but finds fault in the suggestion that injuries and inconsistency along the offensive line solely are to blame.
“The stupid connotation behind my offensive line being bad is not the truth,” Williams said. “I’ve taken a good amount of sacks that have been my fault.”
Chicago appeared on the verge of stopping its funk against the Packers on Nov. 17, taking a 19-14 lead on a 39-yard touchdown run by D’Andre Swift in the final minute of the third quarter.
Love’s 1-yard scoring run gave Green Bay a 20-19 advantage with 2:59 to go before Williams helped drive the Bears into range for a would-be, game-winning field goal. But the Packers’ Karl Brooks blocked Cairo Santos’ attempt from 46 yards as time expired to preserve the victory.
Chicago wide receiver Rome Odunze (illness), running back Travis Homer (hamstring), defensive back Elijah Hicks (ankle, foot), and offensive linemen Teven Jenkins (calf) and Larry Borum (illness) did not practice on Wednesday.
In addition to Alexander, wide receiver Christian Watson (knee), linebacker Quay Walker (ankle), safeties Zayne Anderson (concussion) and Evan Williams (quadricep), offensive tackle Andre Dillard (concussion) and defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. (foot) did not practice on Wednesday.
