GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Five things to watch for in the Week 10 Sunday night matchup when the Green Bay Packers (5-3) host the Chicago Bears (3-5) at Lambeau Field:
1. Forcing Cutler to be the 'same old Jay'
It was the words of Charles Woodson in 2012. They were true then, and they've stayed true since. Jay Cutler struggles against the Packers and throws a lot of interceptions along the way. Cutler has started 10 regular-season games in this rivalry, throwing 19 interceptions compared to 13 touchdowns. That means, on average, Cutler will give the ball away twice nearly every game. In the Week 2 game of the 2012 season that prompted Woodson's "same old Jay" comments, Cutler was picked off four times. Earlier this season in Week 4, Cutler's two second-half interceptions completely changed the momentum of the game.
Win-loss record should mostly not be thought of as a quarterback statistic, but it's hard to not place a lot of the blame on Cutler for the Bears' 1-10 record (playoffs included) against Green Bay with him starting.
"This is a team game, and I think a lot of times those kind of statistics get placed on one player, and that's not fair," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "We have a lot of respect for Jay. He's very talented, can make all of the throws. He's clearly comfortable in this system. I think this system has been very good for him. You can see the impact it made to their football team last year."
Of course, the Packers can't just sit back and expect Cutler to throw interceptions. Getting pressure on Cutler and taking a double-digit lead (thus possibly getting him to force difficult throws) would certainly assist in the 31-year-old quarterback living up to his reputation.
2. Not letting Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett have huge games again
Green Bay can win this game even if Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett destroy the Packers' defense. That was the case in Week 4 when these two teams met in Chicago. Forte had 122 yards rushing (5.3 average) and 49 yards receiving, while Bennett had nine catches for 134 yards. Even with that production, the Bears lost by 21 points.
But if Green Bay wants to make a statement that its run defense doesn't deserve to be ranked where it is (last in the NFL), this is the game to do it. Forte is a top-5 running back in the league and should enter this rematch feeling plenty confident after what he did to the Packers last time. Forte, Ka'deem Carey and Chicago's offense racked up 235 total rushing yards in that game.
Julius Peppers commented this week that the issue with Green Bay's run defense has been "mainly attitude," while Clay Matthews wanted to make it clear that the scheme isn't to blame. Whatever the reasons are, correcting it against a division rival would be the start of what the Packers hope is a significant turnaround stopping the run in the second half of the season.
Bennett presents matchup nightmares for any team. The 6-foot-6 athletic tight end got whatever he wanted in Week 4 (other than the one additional yard needed for a touchdown before the end of the first half). Carolina tight end Greg Olsen had 105 receiving yards when he played Green Bay, and an injured, seemingly half-speed Jimmy Graham had 59 yards and a touchdown. The Packers haven't done well containing talented pass-catching tight ends. But, even though Bennett is dealing with a ribs injury and is questionable, slowing him would be a step in the right direction for Green Bay's defense.
3. Winning a game without having to force a turnover
Turnovers are obviously great for defenses. Winning the turnover battle means a victory more often than not. But it would be interesting to see whether the Packers could win this game by just having their defense get off the field in other ways.
Green Bay has 15 takeaways this season, ranking eighth in the NFL. That's a positive. However, the Packers are 30th in the league in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert 47 percent of the time. That's not a positive.
A defense being too reliant on turnovers can quickly backfire in a game when those turnovers don't come. That's what happened in Week 8 when Green Bay gave up 44 points to the New Orleans Saints and didn't force a single punt.
If Cutler avoids being "the same old Jay," can the Packers still win?
4. Aaron Rodgers' mobility and the blocking in front of him
McCarthy said the Packers have a "full game plan" ready and that he's not concerned about the hamstring injury Aaron Rodgers suffered in New Orleans being a hindrance at all.
Rodgers insisted that his hamstring "is not going to be an issue," but he also added that "if something happens, I might dial it back a little bit." It was immediately noticeable in New Orleans once Rodgers suffered the injury that he wasn't the same quarterback. He uncharacteristically threw two interceptions after that and could not execute the full offensive game plan.
Hamstring injuries can recur, even after the two weeks in between games that Rodgers was fortunate to have. So it will be something to keep an eye on.
A concerning factor related to that is the health of the offensive linemen in front of Rodgers. Starting guards Josh Sitton (torn ligament in his left foot's big toe) and T.J. Lang (ligament and muscle damage in his left ankle) missed practice all week. Sitton and Lang have been the team's two best offensive linemen this season and have done a great job in keeping Rodgers upright.
If reading between the lines of Sitton's comments from Friday, it would seem that he'll play. Lang, however, seems less likely. But if one or both do play, it would not be at 100 percent health. Either way, Rodgers will need his hamstring to cooperate so he is able to scramble in the event the pocket breaks down on a somewhat regular basis.
5. More touches for Eddie Lacy
Did McCarthy intentionally limit Eddie Lacy's touches early in the season to make sure the second-year running back would be healthy and fresh once the weather got colder? That's been one question flying around in recent weeks. Whether it's actually the case remains to be seen.
One thing is certain, though: Lacy is getting the ball a lot less than he did as a rookie in 2013. Last season, Lacy averaged 22.7 touches per game (which combines his carries and his receptions). This season, even with catching the ball more, he's only at 15.75 touches per game.
The weather forecast for Sunday night's game would make it ideal for a Lacy-dominated attack. With his bruising style going along with potential 30-degree weather and gusty wind, Lacy could be a focal point. Or, his lesser role this season could continue with another 15 or 16 touches.
Also keep an eye on how many times Rodgers targets Lacy in the passing game. Lacy's eight catches for 123 yards in New Orleans could be the eye-opening performance that sets things into motion for the rest of the season to get him involved more in that area. Or it could just be the anomaly in a season otherwise filled with Lacy only catching the ball between 1-3 times per game.
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