Chicago Bears: 5 Keys to beating Packers in Week 12
The Chicago Bears hope to turn their fortunes in Week 12 against the Packers.
Things are tough for the Chicago Bears. They’re in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Their offensive line is in shambles. Because of that, the running game is struggling. The quarterback situation is still a big question. Aside from Allen Robinson, no other wide receiver has been consistent. Other than that, things are pretty good.
To add to all that, the Bears also have to end their six-game losing streak coming out of their bye weeks. They try to do that by having to go on the road to face the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers are, again, the leaders of the NFC North. They are also contending for the coveted top spot of the NFC. With seven teams entering the playoffs this season instead of six, only the top seed has a first-round bye.
In their downward spiral, the offense has practically stopped working altogether. The unit cannot move the ball downfield and as a result, the point total is suffering. During their four-game skid, the offense scored just 63 points, an average of just 15.8 points per game. Of those points, 23 of them came in one game (Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints). Also, in two of those four games, the offense failed to score a touchdown.
The Bears need to change things up this week if they want to reverse their fortune. They are currently the eighth seed. If they can turn things around they can continue their playoff hopes. Somehow, if they find some semblance of an offense their soft schedule could help.
In their final six games, they have only two of them against teams with winning records, both of them against the Packers. They have games against the Detroit Lions, the Houston Texans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, all teams that have practically packed it in. They also have a game against the Minnesota Vikings, a team the Bears should have beaten if the offense just made a play or two.
For now, the Bears just need to concentrate on the Packers. Here are five keys for Chicago to win the game.
5. Chicago Bears offensive line needs to step up
As the old saying goes, “The game is won in the trenches.” Whoever wins between the offensive and defensive lines will control the game. For much of the season, the Bears’ offensive line has lost that battle too many times this season.
The Bears’ offensive line did do a pretty good job to start the season. The linemen did a good job of opening holes for the running game. In the first three weeks of the season, the Bears averaged 138 yards per game. Since then, they average just 53 yards per game.
Injuries have certainly taken a toll. Missing James Daniels was a bigger blow than first thought. Using Rashaad Coward to replace him just hasn’t worked, despite the coaches’ best efforts.
Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo surely spent the bye week trying to find the right combination of players to improve the line. Hopefully, they find the right linemen to make things better. At this point, we don’t need them to be the best in the league. If they could just be average (or even slightly below average) that will be an improvement.
Without the line playing better, the Bears have no hope of winning this game. The way it’s playing, the running game cannot get going and it’s pretty difficult to throw passes when you’re constantly on your back.