This is the moment for the Bears to take back the NFC North

David Banks - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 7 hours ago

Just when you thought their first meeting of the season wasn't big enough, let's turn up the stakes even more as this weekend's contest with the Green Bay Packers is about as big as it gets. Not only is first place in the NFC North on the line, but potentially first place in the entire NFC, depending on how things shake out the rest of the way.

Needless to say, the stakes couldn't be any higher, as this will be by far the biggest game the Bears have played in since 2018. In what will feel like a playoff environment at Soldier Field on Saturday, this could be just the second of three meetings this season, as there is a high likelihood that these same teams could meet again in the postseason.

The last time that happened was in the 2010 NFC Championship game, won by the Packers, which was the lone Super Bowl victory for Aaron Rodgers. Since then, wins against the Packers have been tough to come by for the Bears, with the Packers knocking Chicago out of the playoffs several years later at Soldier Field as the Bears continue to find ways to lose to this team.

However, this isn't the same old Bears teams of the past, and this season is living proof of that as Ben Johnson has created a winning culture in just 14 weeks. Regardless of what happens from here on out, the Bears have already doubled their win total from a season ago and are guaranteed, at the very worst, a winning season. The only thing that would make it better would be to make the playoffs, and that could become a reality with a win against their oldest rival, Green Bay.

Any time you have a game with this much on the line this late in the season, you go with experience, which the Packers have a whole lot more of than the Bears. However, if there was ever a time for this team to take back the North, this is it, as the Packers are in shambles right now after what happened in Denver over the weekend.

Not only did the Packers lose to the Broncos after holding a two-score lead in the second half, but the injury bug hit the Packers hard enough to derail everything they have been building. Zach Tom was the first to go down with an ankle injury, as this appears to be a multi-week injury for him.

Then came the Christian Watson injury, which initially appeared to be a broken collarbone, only to be ruled a chest injury. Among all the injuries, Watson received the best possible news: he is a game-time decision against the Bears and is considered week-to-week for now. The big blow for the Packers came late in the second half when All-Pro Edge Micah Parsons went down with what was a non-contact injury.

What didn't look good from the start turned into the worst possible situation for Green Bay: it is indeed a torn ACL, ending his season. That is an insurmountable blow for this team, as Parsons has had an incredible year and is the one guy on this defense who can dictate a game on his own.

Chicago is dealing with its own rash of injuries, with Luther Burden and Rome Odunze continuing to go through the motions. Burden re-injured his ankle during the game on Sunday and is expected to play Saturday, barring any significant setbacks. Odunze is more of a question mark, as he injured his foot again in warmups after saying he was pain-free the day prior.

With so many players out of the lineup, this game will come down to depth and coaching, both of which could be advantages for the Bears. From a depth standpoint, there is no question that Ryan Poles and company have a far deeper roster than the Packers, and they have put that on display all season.

As good a head coach as Matt LaFleur has been, Johnson may be just as good, if not better, on the offensive end, as he had his way with LaFleur and company the past few seasons. This is one of those games where it could come down to one stop late in the game to seal the deal, and should the Bears be in a spot to win it this time, look for them to make it happen, as this is their moment to shock the world and take the North Back to where it belongs.