Chicago Bears: Storylines to follow in season finale vs Green Bay Packers
The Bears need to exert their rushing dominance on both sides of the ball
One of the best aspects of the Chicago Bears is their rushing attack as well as their rush defense. They rank second in the league in rushing and lead the league in rush defense. Additionally, they rank 10th in rushing touchdowns and second in rushing touchdowns allowed.
Chicago has to exert their rush dominance on both sides of the ball. They have a clear advantage over Green Bay in this category. On offense, the Packers rank 15th in rushing yards and 22nd in rushing touchdowns. Defensively, they rank 28th in rushing yards allowed and 22nd in rushing touchdowns allowed.
The Bears have a good trio of running backs who can wear down a defense. They have Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, and D'Onta Foreman. Herbert has shown the explosiveness that made him successful. He suffered an ankle injury and despite returning he still had trouble with his explosiveness. He has 250 yards from scrimmage and 2 touchdowns in the last two games.
In addition to the three running backs, the Bears also have Justin Fields. He has incredible speed and elusiveness. Against the Packers, he has 267 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns in 5 games. He averages 7 yards per rush. He has the ability to create a huge play that can turn the game around.
Defensively, the Bears clog up the middle very well. They have Andrew Billings at the nose and Gervon Dexter in the three-technique. Both of them have done a great job.
While many people criticized the Bears for not picking Jalen Carter in this year's draft, picking up Dexter in the second round might have been a better move. He measures 6-foot-6 and weighs 315 pounds but has great quickness and athleticism. He can explode past blockers and wreak havoc in the opponent's backfield and could have a pretty good career ahead of him.
If the Bears dominate the rushing game they can control the clock on offense and keep Love on the bench. Defensively, if they shut down Green Bay's running game, they make the Packers a one-dimensional offense.