Acme Packing Company
If there’s any way that the Green Bay Packers can make a statement this Sunday against the Chicago Bears, it’s by stopping the run.
The Bears made their case as a legitimate NFC contender on Black Friday, winning convincingly against the Philadelphia Eagles thanks to a combined 281 rushing yards and 6.0 yards per carry as a team. Despite facing a very talented defensive front seven, Bears head coach Ben Johnson schemed up an impressive run game that features plenty of eye candy and some legitimate performances from the likes of Darnell Wright and Jonah Jackson in the trenches.
That performance wasn’t a fluke, either. The Bears are second in the NFL with 153.8 rushing yards per game, and according to FTN Fantasy, they’re currently 4th in offensive rushing DVOA.
For all of the talk about Caleb Williams this year, it’s Chicago’s run game that’s given the Bears their offensive identity. That’s not the best matchup for Green Bay’s defense, but it gives defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley a great test of his side of the ball.
The defensive front comes in without Devonte Wyatt after suffering a broken ankle, and presumably without Lukas Van Ness, who seems like he’ll need more time with his foot issue.
The good news is that the Packers should be getting plenty of defensive reinforcements for this game. Quay Walker, Karl Brooks, and Nate Hobbs all appear to be trending towards playing after missing different periods of time, but it’s Quay’s return that could turn the tide against Chicago’s defense.
For all of the frustrations regarding Walker over his first few seasons, this has been his most reliable and consistent season. His missed tackle rate continues to be in the single digits, according to PFF, while he’s pacing for a career high in defensive stops generated.
Edgerrin Cooper will be another name to monitor, especially if the Bears try to run outside, but perhaps the biggest X-factor in the Packers being able to shut down D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai on Sunday will be second-year safety Evan Williams.
Williams has quickly developed into one of the most reliable and versatile safeties in the NFL in Year 2. He’s currently tied for fifth among NFL safeties with 14 defensive stops, and is just a handful away from the league leader in Las Vegas Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn.
Hafley’s ability to disguise his defense by moving Williams and Xavier McKinney around could complicate things for the Bears’ offensive game plan, and could play a real role in forcing the Bears into throwing the ball, and that’s exactly what the Packers want.
According to RBSDM, Caleb Williams currently ranks 21st in EPA per play and 31st in CPOE out of 32 qualified quarterbacks. While he’s been legitimately elite at avoiding sacks this year, he’s been a disappointing passer, and the Packers have the horses on the edge, most notably Micah Parsons, to force Chicago’s quarterback into some bad situations.
The Packers want to get ahead early and force...
