The oldest and best rivalry in the NFL is officially back this week as the Chicago Bears make their way up north to take on the Green Bay Packers in a pivotal division matchup for both teams. The Bears (3-1) are winners of two straight following their 23-12 dismantling of the New York Jets on the lakefront. Chicago was a bully on offense, racking up over 42 minutes of time of possession and running 89 plays enroute to their victory behind running back Kyle Monangai's 146 rushing yards and two scores.
As for the Packers (2-2), they quieted the alarms temporarily with a 17-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to climb back to .500. Up to this point, the season hasn't gone Green Bay's way thanks to injuries on both sides of the ball, running back Josh
Jacobs' legal situation, and questions mounting regarding head coach Matt LaFleur. But a win over the Bears would change the narrative fairly quickly.
This rivalry always gets the juices flowing, and we've seen that anything can/will happen when these two teams take the field. And with the passing of Bears legend Mike Ditka, who knows what the football gods will have in store on Sunday. Here are our bold predictions for the next iteration of Bears vs. Packers.
1. Bears get multiple touchdowns from their tight ends
1. Bears get multiple touchdowns from their tight ends
National Tight End Day doesn't take place for another couple of weeks, but Sunday will be seen as a monster day for the Bears players in the position group. The Packers will be vulnerable when it comes to guarding the Bears' tight ends following the loss of linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. The talented Packers linebacker suffered a torn Achilles last week and is out for the season. He also missed the second half of the playoff game against the Bears with an injury, which allowed Chicago to carve up the Packers linebackers with Colston Loveland.
With Cooper out for this meeting, the Bears will once again rely on their tight ends to move the ball and get into the end zone. Loveland and Cole Kmet will each bring in touchdowns as they do their best Ditka impressions to shine light on the position he revolutionized.
2. Roschon Johnson rushes for 40 yards
The Bears offense was dealt a significant blow when it was announced that Kyle Monangai would be out with a turf toe injury. While D'Andre Swift is healthy and ready to go, the Bears feast on opposing defenses with multiple backs. There have been 10 games in which Swift and Monangai each received 10+ carries, and the Bears are 7-3. Going into a hostile environment, it's imperative the offense continues leaning on the ground game.
Swift should see upwards of 20+ carries on Sunday, but who will spell him? That will likely be Roschon Johnson, who saw the most rushing yards in a game since November of 2024. Johnson has never rushed for 40 yards in a game during his entire NFL career (career high of 38 rushing yards). With the head coach's newfound trust in the back and the need to keep Swift fresh, the former fourth-round pick will eclipse 40 rushing yards for the first time in his career against a run defense that is allowing 139 yards on the ground.
3. Devin Bush gets an interception
It has been an up-and-down season for linebacker Devin Bush, one of the prized free agent acquisitions of the offseason, but his best moment could be on the horizon. Bush signed a three-year deal to become one of the defensive anchors after a very successful tenure with the Cleveland Browns. Bush has struggled at times to stop the run, but he's been excellent when it comes to pass defense. He has allowed an opposing passer rating of just 53 through four games and hasn't missed a tackle.
Bush made a name for himself with three interceptions last year, two of them going for touchdowns. He's shown sticky hands in the past but is still waiting for his first pick of the year, though he nearly had one back in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers will likely rely on tight end Tucker Kraft, who missed all three games last year against the Bears with injury. When Kraft has been on the field, he hasn't produced much at all against the defense (seven receptions for 67 yards in seven games). Bush will see an opportunity on an errant throw by Jordan Love, who ranks second among quarterbacks with 40 passing attempts with a bad throw percentage of 22%, and snag his first pick of the 2026 season.
4. Bears force two fumbles
The Packers appear to be experts at putting the football on the ground this year. Green Bay leads the league in fumbles during the 2026 season, most in the NFL. Love has accounted for four on his own, while MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson have two a piece. Al Harris has to be licking his chops seeing those statistics while heading back to the place he once called home.
The Bears' defense is an opportunistic bunch, and they make opposing teams pay for not taking care of the football. This group will find a way to make Green Bay put the ball on the ground not once, but twice. Maybe they both come on offense or a key special teams blunder. However it happens, the Bears will be looking to create havoc.
5. Multiple fights break out on the field
The Packers may not want to admit it, but the rivalry is officially hot again following last year's unbelievable games. These two teams do not like each other, and the head coaches have had that tone set for a while now. We're going to see a few "fights" hit the field throughout the afternoon that possibly lead to big penalties as the game goes on.
Who knows, maybe we will even have the sequel to Luther Burden's stranglehold move that took place in 2025.games. These two teams do not like each other and the head coaches have had that tone set for a while now. We're going to see a few "fights" hit the field throughout the afternoon that possibly lead to big penalties as the game goes on.
Who knows, maybe we will even the sequel to Luther Burden's stranglehold move that took place in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 bold predictions for Bears vs. Packers
