Green Bay Packers: Week 1 Watch

Aug 29, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws a pass during warmups prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The season is finally here, folks! Coach Mike McCarthy proclaimed the team ready for action this Sunday against the Chicago Bears, a rivalry older than the game of football itself. Blame the league for scheduling a big rivalry game early on all you want but it is what it is. Neither team will come out slow just because it is early September. As with most NFL seasons, both teams have undergone some changes and present a new challenge to one another.

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Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has verbalized his displeasure with talking about his team’s lack of success against the Packers and for good reason. Chicago has not beaten Green Bay at home in almost five years but we cannot use this fact to gauge the direction of this game. It’s a rivalry – an old rivalry. At this point in the season, however, everyone is 0-0.

The Packers have started slow in recent years and they would certainly prefer that trend to come to a screeching halt. The Bears, of all teams, are certainly not the guys to give the Packers a break and take it easy on them.

Let’s discuss some aspects of the Packers’ game plan that will almost certainly factor in the outcome of this game. This is not so much a list of reasons the Packers will win but simply things to keep an eye on Sunday afternoon.

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