FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
Packers will ride rookie kicker rest of way
It isn’t like the Packers were giving up on rookie kicker Anders Carlson, but with five missed extra points (32 of 37) and five missed field goals (26 of 31), they know an untimely miss could cost them a playoff bid.
Carlson is tied with New England’s Chad Ryland for most missed kicks in the NFL and ranks third among the four qualifying rookie kickers with an .839 field goal percentage. Despite Carlson missing extra points in consecutive games, the Packers aren’t shying away from using him because he has gone on to hit some important field goals after the misses. Since missing a 45-yard field goal against New York, he has hit seven straight. He is 14 of 14 from inside the 40, which makes the missed extra points difficult to explain.
“What we see in practices, the guy is trying to get better all the time, and what we’ve seen in games is he’s come back and hit some pretty significant field goals after missing a PAT,” special teams coach Rich Bisaccia said.
How much can the Packers get out of Watson and Musgrave?
It appears both receiver Christian Watson and tight end Luke Musgrave will return from long injury absences and play against the Bears. The Packers should have their full complement of receivers available based on practice this week.
Coach Matt LaFleur must make a decision about how much he wants to use Watson and Musgrave in their returns. On defense, he had no hesitation using Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, Eric Stokes and De’Vondre Campbell after lengthy absences, but on offense there is a timing factor with quarterback Jordan Love that comes into play. Watson got in only one week of practice and Musgrave two heading into their returns.
The way Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs, Bo Melton and Tucker Kraft have been playing, it might be a mistake to rely too heavily on the talented Watson and Musgrave.
Love hasn’t thrown an interception in 126 passes. Will Bears end the streak?
After throwing 10 interceptions in his first nine games, Love has thrown just one in his last seven. Dating to the Giants game Dec. 11, he has not thrown an interception in 126 attempts and has just one in 247 attempts since the Pittsburgh game Nov. 12.
The Bears lead the league in interceptions with 22, including 16 in the last six games. They had four interceptions in games against Minnesota and Atlanta during that span. Three players – rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and linebacker Tremaine Edwards – have four interceptions each.
Bears won’t hold anyone back
Despite not having a shot at the playoffs, the Bears are coming into this game the same way the Detroit Lions did a year ago when they had no chance to make the playoffs. They came in determined to be a spoiler and didn’t hold any players back. Coach Matt Eberflus made it clear that the game is about the Bears continuing their late-season roll, which includes four victories in their last five games.
The Packers have won nine straight in the rivalry – all under LaFleur – 14 of the last 15 and 19 of the last 22, including a 38-20 decision at Soldier Field in Week 1. The last time the Bears won at Lambeau Field was in 2015, when Jay Cutler outdueled Aaron Rodgers in a 17-13 victory.
Bears might not blitz Love a lot
The Packers have played several defenses that thrive on blitzing the quarterback, including the Minnesota Vikings, who lead the league in blitz percentage and went after Love with myriad looks in both games. The Bears are middle of the road when it comes to blitz percentage but have had some games in which they have pressured a high number of times.
The Giants were the most recent team to affect Love with their heavy blitz, but Love has posted good numbers against Kansas City (118.6 rating), Tampa Bay (111.5) and Minnesota (125.3), all of which came after him. The Bears may not have to pressure Love if they can shut down running back Aaron Jones and force Love into a lot of third-and-long throws. But if they do blitz him a lot, it comes with risk.
“We didn’t get a whole lot of pressure the first time we played them,” LaFleur said. “But they do a good job. They do a good job of having those timely pressures and making sure you earn everything you get. This is one of the best – especially over the last six weeks – it is one of the best defenses in the league.”