Game 4: Da Bears at Lambeau - 7:25 - CBS

[MickeyDavis]

From Silverstein

TEAMS: Chicago Bears (1-2) at Green Bay Packers (2-1).

WHEN: 7:25 p.m. Thursday.

WHERE: Lambeau Field.

TV/STREAM: CBS, NFL Network, Amazon.

RADIO: AM-620 in Milwaukee, AM-1360 in Green Bay; Packers Radio Network.

SERIES: Tied, 94-94-6.

LINE: Packers by 7.

WEATHER: Low 60s.

SURFACE: DD GrassMaster.

COACHES: Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy (126-70-1) vs. Chicago's John Fox (137-121-0).

5 THINGS TO WATCH

1. SHORT SHRIFT: Both teams are coming off overtime games played in 80-degree temperatures. They were able to hold two scaled-down practices because the priority is getting the players' bodies prepared to play two games in five days. McCarthy is 8-2 in short weeks, including 2-1 against the Bears. The Packers have more injuries to deal with and could be down to a pair of undrafted free agents at both tackle positions on the offensive line. McCarthy held a very short practice focusing mostly on drills on Tuesday and an hour-long unpadded practice on Wednesday. “We’ll be ready to play Thursday night, I can promise you that,” McCarthy said. “Yeah, they played a hot game, they played in the sun. We had the sun behind us for three-quarters of the game, I’m hoping that they’re extremely dehydrated.”

2. POUND THE ROCK: The Bears beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last week despite passing for just 84 yards and completing one pass to a wide receiver. The Steelers played zone coverage against quarterback Mike Glennon and dared him to throw it downfield. Bears coach John Fox wouldn’t let him and Glennon basically played check-down football. Glennon finished 15 for 22 for 101 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Running backs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen combined to carry 35 times for 216 yards (6.17 average) against a Steelers defense that was allowing 3.3 yards per carry. “They're committed to it, obviously as much of a commitment as any team in the league right now,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said of the Bears running game.

3. MANO-A-MANO: While the Steelers played mostly Cover 2 against the Bears, the Packers are a man-coverage team and they’re likely to see this game as an opportunity to pressure Glennon and cause turnovers. But they’re best pressuring out of their “nitro” package with safeties Josh Jones and Morgan Burnett near the line of scrimmage. Playing that defense is a risk against a Bears team willing to run the ball up the gut down after down. If defensive tackle Mike Daniels plays, the Packers might be able to make it work, but without him, they may have to play two inside linebackers on early downs. “We’ve got a lot of different packages and, you know, we think that package gives us a lot of flexibility in terms of matchups and those types of things,” Capers said of “nitro.” “And if people start running the ball significantly on us, then we have other things that we can go to. But as I stand here I don’t feel like we can’t stop the run out of that defense.”

4. SLIPPERY FINGERS: The Bears defense has been remarkably stingy, especially given the offense has turned the ball over six times, including once at its own 35, once at its 16, once at its 13 and once at its 7. Of the six touchdowns the Bears defense has allowed, half came from those turnovers. The Packers have done a good job controlling the ball – they rank fourth in time of possession – and have six touchdown drives of 70 or more yards. Something is going to have to give between a defense that doesn’t give up long touchdown drives and an offense that specializes in them. “They’re going to challenge your pass concepts,” McCarthy said. “You just can’t go out there and run the same plays from week to week, that’s for sure. They’re scrappy, they’re tough.”

5. RUN AROUND: Is this the week running back Ty Montgomery gets 20 carries? So far, the most he’s carried the ball in a game was 19 times (vs. Seattle) and he’s averaging just 13 per game. The Packers rank 23rd in the league in yards per carry at 3.5 and Montgomery is averaging just 3.0. Rookie Jamaal Williams has carried five times for 21 yards (4.2). The longest run of the season by a running back is 8 yards. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has topped that three times on scrambles. Rookies Aaron Jones and Devante Mays have yet to carry the ball. Maybe this is the week they get involved.

VIEWS OF THE GAME

TOM SILVERSTEIN

Based on the Packers’ injury situation, I really want to pick the Bears, but I think at least one of the two starting tackles will make it through the game and that will be enough to separate the two teams. It’s going to be two exhausted teams by the fourth quarter, so depth is going to be critical. Packers 31, Bears 27

PETE DOUGHERTY

The Packers have been crushed by injuries at tackle but might be getting back David Bakhtiari (hamstring), which would be big. Rookie Josh Jones added some playmaking to the Packers' defense, but the Bears will test the nitro's ability to stop the run with backs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. The guess here is the run defense will be good enough. Packers 28, Bears 21

MICHAEL COHEN

The Bears' defense is good enough to give the Packers some problems, but Aaron Rodgers will find a way to get it done for the second straight week — regardless of who plays left and right tackle. Packers 23, Bears 20

RYAN WOOD

If left tackle David Bakhtiari doesn't play Thursday night, the Packers very well could lose. They'll probably have a competitive game against the Bears regardless. But on a short week, one team has Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. The other has Mike Glennon. And the team with Rodgers is playing at home. Expect the two-time MVP quarterback to make enough plays for a victory. Packers 21, Bears 17

AARON NAGLER

Aaron Rodgers and the offense won't have an easy go of it, but they should be able to put up enough points at home to outpace a Bears team whose only victory came on a day when their quarterback threw for 101 yards. If the Packers' nitro defense can hold up against a potent Bears rushing attack, they should win. Packers 23, Bears 17

[Ron Swanson]

Pretty simple. If you can shut down the run, you shut down their offense. Stack the box and dare Glennon and those receivers to beat you in man-coverage. Defense needs to create a turnover at some point.

[M-C-G]

Get out early and score, turn the Bears into a passing team.

[ReginaldDwight]

Would like to see some semblance of a run game this week, let the young tackles put their head down and run block a bit. Feels like a game where Rodgers could get hit a lot, really hate thursday night games.

[Mags FTW]

Nothing surprises me in these Bears games anymore. Almost lost at their place last year. Lost on Favre night/Thanksgiving 2 years ago. Rodgers got his collarbone broken and they lost 4 years ago.

Just get the W and rest for 10 days.

[HKPackFan]

Nothing surprises me in these Bears games anymore. Almost lost at their place last year. Lost on Favre night/Thanksgiving 2 years ago. Rodgers got his collarbone broken and they lost 4 years ago.

Just get the W and rest for 10 days.

Agreed. I was at that disaster. The team was pathetic. I still worry they can slip into that mode of no one getting open in simple routes and no running game.

We will have to do something to avoid Rodgers from getting hit 5 to 7 times.

[Kerb Hohl]

It's not going to necessarily be the run game (though they'll try it with Howard and probably have some success). I am downright terrified of Cohen vs. our LBs and that is even with Martinez making some solid plays of late. If the Bengals went back to the well a bit more often on that last week, they probably win.

[WeekapaugGroove]

It's not going to necessarily be the run game (though they'll try it with Howard and probably have some success). I am downright terrified of Cohen vs. our LBs and that is even with Martinez making some solid plays of late. If the Bengals went back to the well a bit more often on that last week, they probably win.

Yeah cohen will make some plays for sure. But unlike the Bengals where you need to worry about a guy like green the bears wrs suck so in theory the pack should be able to go one on one with their corners and use the safeties to help on the rbs.

I say in theory because who knows maybe our corners make the bears wrs look like jerry rice for a week.

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[Ron Swanson]

If we can't contain the lowly Bears wideouts then our secondary truly is a complete bucket of ass. None of this "they were eventually due" crap like people were saying with the Bengals.

[humanrefutation]

I think we're going to lose tonight. 24-14 Bears.

[Iheartfootball]

I think we're going to lose tonight. 24-14 Bears.

I hate to say it but I think so too. Short week, no tackles. Score might be closer but I don't see the offense moving much. Bears defense can stop them.

[GBPackers47]

I like our offense with third string tackles over their offense healthy. Packers win.

[Profound23]

Players to watch tonight:

Markhus Wheaton and Leonard Floyd

[crkone]

Akiem Hicks having a bum foot is going to be huge.

[Profound23]

I like our offense with third string tackles over their offense healthy. Packers win.

I do too. However, offenses don't play against other offenses. I don't like our offense with third string tackles against their defense. Our defense vs their offense is a wash but Jordan Howard and Cohen could run wild without Mike Daniels and control the clock. Mixon was running well against us last week and if not for a lucky slip on a late handoff, he probably puts the game away late in the 4th.

[MickeyDavis]

Read on Twitter

[Turk Nowitzki]

Hope for the best I guess

Read on Twitter

[RubberSoul]

If Rodgers comes out in one piece and we win I will be happy. Don’t care how ugly it is tonight.

[raysbookclub]

Daniels and Montravius Adams both inactive? Did Adams get hurt last week? That leaves only 4 DL: Francois, Lowry, Clark, Dial. Would think they'd want 5 DL's up against a run-heavy offense like the Bears. We still playing nickel and Nitro against them?

[rilamann]

Stack the box and dare Glennon and those receivers to beat you in man-coverage. Defense needs to create a turnover at some point.

Even against the Bears I'm not so sure I would do that with our secondary.