Last week didn’t go as planned as we ended well below .500 in one of the strangest weeks in the NFL in my 24 years of being a fan. No doubt the emotions of last weekend affected players and teams and I believe it affected the product on the field. I’ve been talking about the politics from last weekend all week long and I’m going to leave it out of the rest off this blog. It’s been exhaustive. Politics, off.
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:25p (Packers -7, O/U: 44.5)
This will more than likely be close early. Green Bay’s defense gives up big chunks of yards through the air but matchup a little better with the ground game. The game plan should be simple for the Bears, get plenty of first downs, run often, keep the ball out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands. If you can keep the Packers offense off the field, your chance of winning increases tremendously. Now, I’ve never been a fan of Mike Glennon. He’s got a nice completion percentage but his coaches have tended to keep him on a leash and not let him loose. The Bears had a great ground game last week and they’ll look to build on that success this week on the road. Jordan Howard may lead the team in carries and yards but it’s rookie Tarik Cohen leading the team in yards per carry with 6.5 and the teams leading receiver, giving him a very solid start to his rookie season. However, that spells trouble for the Bears with trying to stay consistent on offense while keeping possession of the ball. Green Bay is a tough place to play on the road and Green Bay is one of the best in the league since the turn of the century in winning at home. Take the Packers to win in the over, 33-17.
Necessary Roughness 