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The last non-exhibition the Green Bay Packers played was that nightmarish NFC Championship Game meltdown against the Seattle Seahawks. The last time their starters saw the field, in the third preseason contest in Pittsburgh, they lost their No. 1 wide receiver for the year. If there is any NFL team that's chomping at the bit for this regular season to begin so it can promptly reverse its recent poor fortune, it is Green Bay. And what better opponent to open against than the Chicago Bears, to whom the Packers have lost just once in their last 10 meetings? Green Bay travels to Chicago as seven-point favorites Sunday. Here's what to keep an eye on when the NFL's oldest rivalry game kicks off at 12 p.m. CT.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
-- Will the Packers wide receivers step up? After Jordy Nelson went down with a torn ACL, all the receivers moved up a spot in terms of both depth chart and dependence. Nelson had always feasted on the Bears, easily the Packers' most devastating receiver against them over the past six years, catching 53 passes for 832 yards and six touchdowns -- all team highs -- in 13 rivalry games. But he's gone, so it will be largely up to three players to fill the playmaking void: dynamic slot man Randall Cobb, a 2014 Pro Bowl WR, second-year wideout Davante Adams, who won high praise in the offseason and training camp, and newly signed veteran James Jones, reunited with the Packers after spending the 2014 season in Oakland and this preseason with the Giants. The season opener against a relatively weak Bears secondary will provide a good litmus test for whether Green Bay's typically explosive passing attack can not only survive, but also continue to thrive without its top receiver.
-- Will the offensive line return to 2014 form? The Packers' offensive line was one of the league's best in 2014. Healthy, consistent and strong, it helped quarterback Aaron Rodgers win a second MVP award. During the preseason, however, the starting line was plagued by lingering injuries -- left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee), left guard Josh Sitton (ankle), right guard T.J. Lang (concussion), right tackle Bryan Bulaga (ankle) -- that left fans nervous about Rodgers' protection. The linemen insist they are good to go, that they would have been able to play if it was the regular season. Well, now it is the regular season, and it will be interesting to see if they are as sound as they say and as sturdy as they were last year.
-- Will the Packers have a pass rush? We know outside linebacker Clay Matthews likes playing the Bears -- his 8.5 sacks against them are the most of any defender since 2009 and also his most versus any team. Julius Peppers, who was cut by Chicago after the 2013 season and notched a sack against his former employer last year, should be motivated but also will likely have his hands full with Kyle Long, an athletic tackle who has switched from the left side to the right this season. With end Datone Jones and tackle Letroy Guion both suspended, the Packers may struggle to get much push and penetration from their defensive line. Surely, though, Mike Daniels is frothing at the mouth for his opportunity to disturb the Bears' backfield.
2 THINGS TO REMEMBER
-- Speaking of the Bears' backfield, it's important the Packers remember that, even if no one else poses much of a threat, running back Matt Forte can still hurt them. Forte has averaged 108.1 yards from scrimmage against the Packers for his career, his second-highest total against any team (and only 0.3 yards per game fewer than versus the Lions). He remains one of the league's best backs and arguably still its most well-rounded; he leads all active running backs in receptions and receiving yards. Packers linebackers have, in the past, struggled in coverage, but they have to make blanketing Forte -- possibly the Bears' only dangerous skill position player, if hobbled wide receiver Alshon Jeffery sits out -- a priority.
-- Wide receiver woes, offensive line questions, pass rush problems, Forte threats. Perhaps none of it really matters as long as Rodgers is under center for Green Bay. In 14 career games against the Bears, Rodgers is 12-2 and has passed for 3,448 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, good enough for a passer rating of 109.8. Last year, he was 40 of 55 for 617 yards with 10 scores, zero picks and a 149.0 rating. No matter who he's throwing to and how his linemen perform, it's always instructive to remember that Rodgers owns the Bears.
1 KEY MATCHUP
Packers secondary vs. Bears QB Jay Cutler
And on the other side, Cutler has experienced the exact opposite of Rodgers' success in this matchup. Since arriving in Chicago in 2009, Cutler has gone 1-10 against Green Bay, completing 57 percent of his attempts for 2,192 yards, 13 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and a passer rating of 64.1, his worst against any team that he's faced more than twice. Former cornerback Charles Woodson famously once said "Same old Jay" in reference to Cutler's predictable proclivity for throwing the ball to Packers defensive backs. And Green Bay's secondary contains three players -- safety Morgan Burnett (who, however, did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and might not play) and cornerbacks Sam Shields and Casey Hayward -- that each have intercepted Cutler twice (Matthews has also picked off Cutler two times). This is the game second-year safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who had one interception all of last season, and rookie cornerbacks Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and Ladarius Gunter have circled for getting in on the action.
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