Gameday: Five things to watch, rosters, predictions,
HYPE OR TRIPE: For all that was written this week on the impact newly acquired Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack will have on this matchup, the reality is he may not play many snaps. The Bears dodged a disaster when rookie inside linebacker Roquan Smith tweaked a hamstring in his first practice after a two-week holdout. Mack missed all of training camp. It’s possible Bears coach Matt Nagy will limit Mack to definite passing downs.
FAMILIAR FACE: This will be the fourth time that quarterback Aaron Rodgers opens the season against a Vic Fangio defense. Fangio, the Bears’ defensive coordinator, held a similar position with the San Francisco 49ers and was 2-0 against Rodgers until joining the Bears and losing in the 2015 opener. The ’15 game was Fangio’s first with the Bears and his defense has gotten progressively better, so Sunday night will be a better judge of whether Fangio still holds the upper hand. Rodgers was 0-4 against the 49ers when Fangio was in charge of the defense, including two playoff losses.
MIDDLE MEN: Even if rookie inside linebacker Oren Burks can play Sunday, he probably isn’t going to be a full-time participant. He missed the last two exhibition games and could just be used in some passing situations because of his athleticism. But the Bears have a power running attack and the Packers are going to need someone who can plug holes in the middle, so don’t be surprised if newcomer Antonio Morrison starts and plays on running downs.
MUM’S THE WORD: It would be nice to know what tight end Jimmy Graham’s expectations are for this season or how he thinks teams are going to cover him, but Graham apparently has taken a vow of silence since talking to reporters July 28, the third day of camp. What is known is that Rodgers and coach Mike McCarthy think he has made a seamless transition to the offense and has a good chemistry with his quarterback. WORKING OVERTIME: Publicly, the Packers are expressing confidence in Ty Montgomery being able to complement starter Jamaal Williams in the backfield. The truth is, they may have to keep Williams in the lineup a good portion of the game because he is a much better blocker than Montgomery and would be a good option to help out with Mack. Williams is a natural runner who showed he could carry a big load at the end of last year, so the coaches should have no hesitation using him as much as they want. They just can’t afford for him to get hurt.