Week 10 Game Scout: Packers at Bears

Nov 16, 2017 - 5:29 PM GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-4) AT CHICAGO BEARS (3-5)

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Soldier Field. TV: FOX, Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman, Peter Schrager.

SERIES HISTORY: 194th regular-season meeting. Packers lead series, 94-93-6. This is the old series in NFL history. At Soldier Field, the Packers have beaten the Bears six straight times and seven of the last eight. The Bears' last regular-season win over Green Bay at Soldier Field was 20-17 in 2010, when Chicago won the NFC North and went to the NFC Championship Game before losing to the Packers.

KEYS TO THE GAME: Since Aaron Rodgers went down with a shoulder injury in Week 7, the Packers' high-flying offense has pretty much been grounded. Rodgers' replacement, Brett Hundley, has yet to develop solid chemistry with any of his receivers. That has to change if the Packers have any hopes of salvaging the season until Rodgers' possible return.

Without Rodgers, Green Bay is averaging just under 15 points per game. Packers coach Mike McCarthy has played it close to the vest with Hundley. In two-plus games, the Packers have taken very few shots downfield. The conservative approach has allowed opponents to jam the box and slow down Green Bay's run game. McCarthy and the Packers need to open up the offense against Chicago.

And if there wasn't enough drama surrounding the Packers, they released TE Martellus Bennett on Wednesday. Bennett signed a lucrative three-year contract in the offseason but was released for failing to disclose a medical condition. He seemed healthy before the bye week but came back injured and was inactive last week.

The Bears have a golden opportunity with Rodgers hurt. Rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky will be tested by Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who probably will throw the book with different looks and blitzes. Trubisky will miss his safety valve and best receiver Zach Miller. Tight end Daniel Brown is a player who could step up in the passing game with Miller out. He's 6-feet-6 and is not afraid of contact.

Trubisky will want to get rid of the ball quickly or swing it out to Tarik Cohen. Quick hitters should slow the Packers' rush and open up sizable holes for the rushing game. Running back Jordan Howard has been relatively quiet in three games against the Packers. He played the first half of the season with a bad shoulder, but was able to heal during the bye week.

The Packers' defense is at a vulnerable point and not as strong against the run as in the past, partly due to injuries. Green Bay's three-man line ranks 23rd in yardage allowed. The outside zone play Howard runs so well hasn't hurt the Packers in the past because Green Bay's interior three linemen broke up the slow-developing blocking scheme, but that could change.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Bears RB Jordan Howard vs. Packers run defense. The Packers are 23rd in rushing yards allowed per game (118.0) and 14th in yards per carry (3.9). Howard averages 20.3 carries and 82.8 yards per game.

--Packers WR Randall Cobb vs. Bears DB Cre'von LeBlanc. Bears slot defender Bryce Callahan struggled against New Orleans early two weeks ago, and suffered a knee injury, so LeBlanc likely will see most of the action against Green Bay. It's hard to see how he could do worse than Callahan did last time. The Packers lined up almost any receiver they wanted to see get open against Callahan in the first game and picked on him.

FRIDAY INJURY REPORT

GREEN BAY PACKERS

--Out: T Bryan Bulaga (knee), S Morgan Burnett (groin), DT Quinton Dial (chest)

--Questionable: LB Ahmad Brooks (back), G Justin McCray (ankle), LB Joe Thomas (ankle)

CHICAGO BEARS

--Questionable: CB Bryce Callahan (knee), T Tom Compton (ankle), G Kyle Long (finger), CB Sherrick McManis (hamstring), DE Roy Robertson-Harris (hamstring), TE Dion Sims (illness), LB Danny Trevathan (calf)

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Bears WR Dontrelle Inman. It's the first game for Inman in a Bears uniform after he was traded by San Diego, and there is every reason to anticipate he'll have trouble making much of an impact. He's never played in this offense or with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, and was limited by a hamstring injury earlier this season. But the Bears need the 6-foot-3, 198-pounder to help take pressure off the running game and open up the middle of the field. With a 13.7-yard career average, Inman has shown he can be an effective downfield threat.

FAST FACTS: Green Bay has lost three straight games by more than one score for the first time since 2006. ... Packers QB Brett Hundley passed for a career-high 245 yards last week. He has had two straight games with a rushing touchdown. ... RB Aaron Jones has 166 rushing yards and one touchdown in two career road games. ... RB Ty Montgomery had a career-high 162 yards on the ground and two touchdowns the last time the teams met. ... WR Jordy Nelson has 55 receptions for 629 yards (104.8 per game) and six touchdowns in the past six games against Chicago. He is tied for the NFC lead with six touchdown receptions. ... LB Clay Matthews had a sack and forced fumble the last time the Packers played the Bears. ... LB Blake Martinez leads Green Bay and ranks fourth in the NFL with 73 tackles. ... The Bears have lost five straight divisional games; they've had one longer streak since divisional realignment in 2002 (six games in 2014-15). ... In Chicago QB Mitchell Trubisky's four NFL starts, he has completed just 38 passes, but he has rushed for 110 yards. The last QB with fewer than 40 completions and at least 100 rushing yards in his first four starts was Randall Cunningham in 1985 (30, 197). ... RB Jordan Howard has 333 rushing yards (83.3 per game) and three TDs in his past four home games. With 25 rushing yards against Green Bay, he would surpass Walter Payton (26 games) as the fastest Bears player to 2,000. ... DE Akiem Hicks had a sack in Week 8 and now has recorded five sacks in the past four games.

PREDICTION: Trubisky has had eight games to get to know his targets, while Hundley has had two -- and very little success. For a change, there is less drama surrounding the Bears than their opponent, and Howard appears healthy and ready to carry the load against a banged-up Green Bay defense.

OUR PICK: Bears, 23-13.

--Dennis Rudner