2022 Packers Season Preview: Know Your Enemy, Chicago Bears
With less than three weeks left before the opening kickoff, it’s time to talk about the rivalry between Da Bears and the Cheeseheads regarding the 2022 season. Which team has the better player personnel, the Packers or the Bears?
The Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears have been playing each other since 1921. These two teams have been playing each other for over 100 years and they have always been competitive. The Packers currently hold a record of 103-95-6 against the Bears. As the Bears continue to rebuild and push for a competitive NFC North, how do they currently compare to the 2022 Packers?
Which Team Has The Better Quarterback, Packers Or Bears?
Justin Fields enters his second year as the Chicago Bears quarterback but, unlike last year, he is the Week one starter. On the other side, four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers will be going into his 18th season with the Green Bay Packers. These two quarterbacks are very different. Rodgers is a leader on and off the field for the Packers whereas Fields is often seen criticizing his teammates because they wouldn’t have made the roster at Ohio State where he played college ball.
Rodgers has a proven history of winning. We only have a sample size of Fields in his 12 games last season as the Bears played quarterback roulette with Nick Foles and Andy Dalton. The current track record for Ohio State quarterbacks is that they never end up panning out. They fizzle out. I feel that the trend will stay alive with Fields. When you have a team stacked with talent, it’s hard not to perform well as a quarterback at OSU. Fields will have to lead his team versus criticizing them if he wants to alter the trend.
Davante Adams says Aaron Rodgers possessed the "Michael Jordan effect" 🐐 (via @thepivot) pic.twitter.com/aLfgtd320h — NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) August 25, 2022
Rodgers has a way of turning mediocre players into studs. Even after Davante Adams was traded away to the Las Vegas Raiders, Allen Lazard has the skill to be turned into the next all-star for Green Bay. The Packers easily have the best quarterback between these two teams and it’s not close. If Fields can lead the Bears to a winning season this year, it would alter my opinion of him but until he has a consecutive winning career, Rodgers will always win this discussion.
Who will be named 2022 NFL MVP? – Powered By PickUp
How Do The Packers Running Backs Compare To The Bears?
The Packers currently have a stout duo in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Both running backs are proven receivers and runners. Jones is an all-star out the backfield. Last year he put up almost 1,200 total yards between rushing and receiving. Dillon is coming off a 1,100-plus total yard season as well. These two backs are a true backfield since they can both play at a high level on every down.
Fourth-year David Montgomery is the current lead back for the Bears. Khalil Herbert enters his second season as a backup to Montgomery, also known as “Monty”. The Bears, like most teams, have a 1A and a 1B running back combo. Not many teams have a true 1A duo in Jones and Dillon. Herbert came out of nowhere last year when he filled in for Monty and secured his place as running back two. As long as Monty stays healthy, he will remain the lead back for the Bears.
Similar to Jones, Monty is also an elusive back that can catch out of the backfield. He racked up about 1,150 total yards last year. Since the Packers have two running backs that can post those numbers, they are the better running back core compared to the Bears. Khalil Herbert has a high ceiling for improvement since he was just a rookie last year sitting behind Monty. With the current lopsided receiving core, Monty and Herbert will probably be used more when the pocket collapses and Fields needs someone to pitch the ball to.
Packers Versus Bears: Wide Receiver Depth
With the Davante Adams departure, the Packers receiving group looks different compared to recent years. The Bears are also in a similar situation after Allen Robinson signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams added players from other teams as well as drafted some wide receiver talent. The Bears drafted Velus Jones Jr. in the third round and he’s going in the fourth round in most rookie drafts for fantasy football. Jones Jr. should get a lot of action in the slot this year. The Packers drafted Christian Watson early in the second round and he is currently going late in the first for rookie fantasy drafts.
The latest craze coming out of Green Bay is rookie sensation, Rome Doubs. Doubs was drafted in the fourth round of the draft and provides the Packers with some extra speed on the outside. Sammy Watkins was signed by the Packers after a poor season with the Baltimore Ravens, if he can stay healthy, he’ll be in the starting mix. The Bears signed Byron Pringle from the Kansas City Chiefs and N’Keal Harry from the New England Patriots. N’Keal recently had surgery so there’s no timetable for his return.
The top wideouts on each team will be Allen Lazard for the Packers and Darnell Mooney for the Bears. Both players are coming off breakout seasons and they will look to ride that high into this season. Mooney posted 81 receptions for 1,055 receiving yards in 2021. Lazard posted 40 receptions for 513 receiving yards. Allen Robinson wasn’t in the mix much last year so Mooney took over as the top wideout, Lazard was number two behind Davante Adams. With the rookies being unproven, the two teams have a similar wide receiver core.
Who Has Better Tight End Depth? Packers Or Bears
Cole Kmet is entering his third year with the Chicago Bears. He saw a lot of action last year and received almost 100 targets from the trio of quarterbacks. He will look to build upon last year and be a top-three target for Fields to throw to. Robert Tonyan is looking to rebound in his fifth season with the Packers. Tonyan only played eight games last year before tearing his ACL. He is still recovering and his Week one status is looking eerie.
Tonyan will be a focal point of the offense when he comes back healthy. After a spectacular 2020 season, he will have an uphill battle to get back to that 11-touchdown season. His size and hands would be a great boost to the offense this year. Kmet had a great receiving season but failed to find the endzone last year, he will look to change that this year. With Tonyan’s availability in question and uphill battle coming back from injury, Kmet is the better tight end.
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Which Offensive Line Is Better: Packers Versus Bears
Superstar versus half a star. The current offensive line for the Packers is primarily healthy except for David Bakhtiari. Bakhtiari tore his ACL back in 2020 and has had a couple of surgeries to fix it. Having him around will bolster an already great offensive line. If Bakhtiari is unable to start Week one, the Packers have a few backups to fill in and hold the front.
PFF ranked the Bears’ offensive line as the second worst line in the league back in June. Lucas Patrick’s hand injury is the only current injury for the starting line. The o-line will need to be decent this year to give Fields enough time in the pocket to throw to his playmakers. If not, expect Fields to get sacked a lot or constantly on the run. PFF also ranked the Packers starting offensive line as top five even with Bakhtiari’s status unclear. With that said, the Packers have the better line and depth to defend their quarterback and open holes for the running backs.
Will The Packers Win The Series Or Will The Bears Fight Back?
In my article that analyzed the Packers’ schedule, Green Bay should have no trouble sweeping the Bears this year. The Packers have won the last six meetings with the Bears, and this year the dominance should continue. The Bears are set to be dead last in the NFC North as the Detroit Lions made a lot of splashes this off-season to improve both sides of the ball. The current line for the Bears is set at over/under 6.5 wins. Based on the analysis, I would take the under this season.
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