The Chicago Bears are headed to Lambeau Field on Sunday for a rivalry showdown against the Green Bay Packers, doing so with heavy hearts after legendary coach Mike Ditka passed away at the age of 86 on Friday.
On the field, Chicago is looking for their third straight victory over the Packers, and will do so without running back Kyle Monangai and likely quarterback Caleb Williams as well, although he's been upgraded to questionable after returning to practice on Friday.
Green Bay is without their top two stars, running back Josh Jacobs and pass rusher Micah Parsons, and both of those losses have been evident on their respective sides of the football. Neither team is coming into this matchup fully healthy, but there will still be several key matchups
worth monitoring in Week 5.
Bears RB D'Andre Swift vs. Packers run defense
With no Kyle Monangai, the bulk of the running game should fall on the shoulders of D'Andre Swift, who has struggled with fumbles early in the season. Swift was benched for Monangai in last week's win over the Jets, but a matchup against Green Bay's rush defense, which is last in the NFL, could be what the doctor ordered to get the veteran back on track. Swift has been a very effective dual-threat back in Ben Johnson's offense, and if he can maintain ball security, he may have a great performance ahead for himself on Sunday.
Bears WR Luther Burden vs. Packers CB Keisean Nixon
Luther Burden went viral last season for wrapping his hand around Keisean Nixon's neck, and with the hatred that fills this rivalry, there's no chance Nixon will let that slide. Whether it's the physicality between them or just the nature of them being matched up against one another, this should be one of the most, if not the most, entertaining matchups in this game. The Bears' second-year receiver has yet to score a touchdown against the Packers in his first two career games, and last week with Tyson Bagent at quarterback, Chicago's primary weapons, including Burden, got more involved in the mix.
Bears HC Ben Johnson vs. Packers HC Matt LaFleur
Not only has been Ben Johnson made it clear about his feelings towards Green Bay and his opposition in head coach Matt LaFleur, but he also made it known that the team is going to look to honor the passing of Mike Ditka on Sunday. During his tenure as head coach in Chicago, Ditka was 15-5 against the Packers, and currently, Johnson is 2-1, including a playoff win. LaFleur has had plenty of questions about his job security early in this season, and if the Bears coach wants to stick it to his rival, this game could get out of hand.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 key matchups for Bears vs. Packers rivalry showdown
