PACKERS AND BEARS PLAY IN PRIME TIME
The Green Bay Packers will take on longtime rival the Chicago Bears in the home opener at Lambeau Field.
It is the second straight year the home opener is in prime time and the 17th consecutive regular season that the Packers and Bears have squared off in a prime-time game.
Tonight will mark Game No. 205 in the NFL’s oldest rivalry. The Packers hold a 103-95-6 edge in the series, which includes two playoff games (1-1). u Green Bay has won 12 of the last 14 meetings against the Bears at Lambeau Field, including a 45-30 victory last season.
The Packers have outscored Chicago, 406-215, in the last 14 home games, scoring 20-plus points in 12 of those contests.
It is the third straight season and the 11th time in the last 12 years that the Packers-Bears game at Lambeau Field will be played in prime time. u It is the Bears’ first visit to Lambeau Field in September since 2018.
The Packers have scored 40-plus points in each of the last two meetings against the Bears at Lambeau Field, their only time doing so vs. Chicago at home in series history.
The Packers have won 20 of the last 23 regular-season meetings against the Bears and have outscored Chicago, 637-405, in those contests. In those 23 meetings, the Packers have a plus-26 turnover differential (19 giveaways, 45 takeaways). u Green Bay’s current winning streak of six games against Chicago is the fourth longest by the Packers in series history (10 straight from 1994-98, seven-game streaks in 1928-30 and 2000-03).
In six games against the Bears under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers have turned the ball over one time (plus-12 turnover differential with 13 takeaways). It is the fewest giveaways ever for Green Bay over a three-season span against an NFC North opponent (since 2002).
It is the fifth consecutive year that Green Bay will face a division opponent at home in Week 2.
RODGERS AND THE BEARS
With Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback, Green Bay is 23-5 (including playoffs) against the Bears, with one loss coming in 2013 after Rodgers left the game with an injury after the first series. u In the 28 games against Chicago, Rodgers has an over- all passer rating of 107.4.
Of the starters that have attempted 300-plus passes against the Bears (including playoffs), Rodgers’ 107.4 passer rating is No. 1 in league history (No. 2 – Drew Brees, 98.2) according to Stats Pass.
Rodgers has posted a 100-plus passer rating in 14 matchups (min. 15 pass att.) and the Packers are 14-0 in those contests. Rodgers has the most 100-plus passer-rating games (min. 15 pass att.) against the Bears since 1950 (stathead.com), passing Brett Favre (11) in Week 17 of the 2020 season.
Rodgers has registered passer ratings of 128.0, 132.2, 147.9 and 141.1 against the Bears in his last four outings, giving him 10 games with a passer rating of 125-plus against the Bears (min. 15 att.), the most by a QB against a single opponent.
Rodgers has posted a 125-plus passer rating and multiple TD passes in each of his last four games against Chicago. It is tied for the longest streak in league history against a single opponent (Brees’ four-game streak against the Raiders from 2005-16). Rodgers has posted six consecutive zero-INT games against Chicago (min. 15 att.), the longest streak by a QB against the Bears. u Overall, Rodgers has thrown 61 TDs against Chicago, passing Favre (60) for the most in NFL history vs. the Bears.
HOME SWEET HOME
Green Bay has a long tradition of playing well at Lambeau Field, and it has continued under Head Coach Matt LaFleur.
Green Bay (8-0) was the only NFL team to be undefeated at home last season. The Packers finished with an 8-0 regular season record at Lambeau Field for the sixth time (1996-97, 2002, 2011, 2014).
The Packers have won seven-plus home games in three straight seasons (2019-21), tied for the second-longest streak in team history (2010-12) behind only a five-season stretch from 1994-98. They are the first NFL team to do it since the 2013-15 Patriots.
Green Bay has won 13 straight regular-season home games, the longest active streak in the NFL and the fourth-longest home winning streak in team history.
Dating back to 2020, the Packers have held their opponents to 17 or fewer points in eight of the last 11 regular-season games at Lambeau Field.
Since 2019, the Packers have the best record in the NFL at home:
Green Bay has 248 victories at Lambeau Field during the regular season, the most home wins by any franchise at one stadium in NFL history.
The Packers have won 19 of the last 22 games it has played against an AFC team at Lambeau Field (2011-21).
Green Bay finished the 2021 regular season No. 3 in the NFL in points-per-game differential at home (plus13.9), No. 5 in the league in points per game scored at home (30.6) and No. 2 in the NFL in points per game allowed at home (16.8).
Green Bay ranks in the top five in the NFL in points per game scored, points per game allowed and point differential at home in the regular season since 2019
Green Bay forced multiple takeaways in eight straight regular-season games at Lambeau Field (Week 16 of 2020 – Week 16 of 2021), the team’s longest home streak since a nine-game streak in 1992-93.
The Packers registered a positive turnover differential in 11 straight regular-season games at Lambeau Field (Week 12 of 2020 – Week 16 of 2021), tied for the longest streak at home in NFL history with the 2008-10 Packers and the 1981-83 Kansas City Chiefs.
Green Bay has finished with a record of .500 or better at home for 15 straight regular seasons (2007-21):
Since 2007, Green Bay (93-25-2, .783) ranks No. 2 in the NFL at home during the regular season (New England, 99-22, .818).
In his last 20 regular-season starts at Lambeau, QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown 50 TD passes and three INTs.
Rodgers led the NFL in passer rating (122.4) at home in 2020 and finished No. 2 in the league for the 2021 regular season (min. 6.25 pass att./team game):
Rodgers ranks No. 1 in the NFL since 1950 in passer rating at home (min. 670 pass att.), according to Stats Pass:
In his last 16 regular-season home starts, Rodgers has thrown for 43 TDs with three INTs (117.8 rating, No. 1 in the NFL since 2020, min. 100 pass att.). He has thrown multiple TD passes in 14 of those games and posted a 100-plus rating in 13 of those contests.
When Rodgers has started at QB, the Packers are 50-1 (.980) at Lambeau Field when allowing 17 or fewer points. The lone loss was a 17-13 defeat to Chicago on Nov. 26, 2015.
RB Aaron Jones has played in 34 home games in his career and has scored 31 touchdowns (24 rushing and seven receiving), including a four-TD game in Week 2 of 2021 to tie the single-game Lambeau Field record (last by Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams in 2008). Jones’ 31 TDs are the most by a Packer (since 1950) at home in his first five seasons (2017-21).
Jones is tied for No. 4 in the NFL in rushing TDs (24) and No. 2 in the league in total TDs (31) at home since 2017.
PRIME TIME
The Packers were one of five teams to be undefeated in night games during the 2021 regular season (5-0) and the only one of those to have more than three wins.
Green Bay went 6-0 in prime-time games during the 2020 regular season, the first time Green Bay has ever gone undefeated in a season that they played five-plus games in prime time (previous best was 4-2 in both 2016 and 2019).
The Packers have won 12 consecutive prime-time games during the regular season, tied for the longest winning streak by an NFL team since 2000 with the 2004-07 Colts and the 2007-09 Steelers.
In those 12 games, QB Aaron Rodgers has completed 286 of 391 passes (73.1 pct.) for 3,045 yards and 34 TDs with two INTs for a 122.3 rating. He has thrown multiple TD passes with no INTs in nine of those contests.
The Packers have turned the ball over four times in those 12 games and have 20 takeaways for a plus-16 turnover differential. In 10 of the 12 games, Green Bay did not commit a turnover.
Also in the 12-games, Green Bay has averaged 33.3 points per game and scored 30-plus points in nine of the 12 contests.
Among teams to play at least five prime-time games, the Packers have the best record in the NFL since 2020 (11-0, 1.00).
In 2021, Green Bay was in the top five in points per prime-time game and point differential per prime-time game:
In the 2021 regular season, Rodgers led the NFL in passer rating (122.0) and pass TD/INT ratio (14/0) among players that played multiple prime-time games.
Rodgers tied for No. 2 in the NFL with 14 TD passes in prime-time games in 2021 (Patrick Mahomes, 14 / Dak Prescott, 16).
Over the 2020-21 seasons, Rodgers led the league with a passer rating of 128.5 in prime-time games (min. 50 pass att.) according to Stathead.com.
Rodgers has thrown four TDs in six of the last 10 primetime games he has played in. During the 2020-21 regular seasons, Rodgers threw 32 TDs and one INT in prime-time contests.
In 2020-21, Rodgers registered a passer rating of 110-plus in nine of 11 prime-time contests (124.9, 147.5, 147.2, 132.3, 91.6, 128.1, 145.6, 113.3, 90.4, 141.1, 114.8).
From 2000-21, Rodgers owns four of the top 10 single-season passer ratings in prime-time games (min. 100 pass att.) in the NFL (Stathead.com):
Dating back to 1950, Rodgers ranks No. 1 in the NFL (min. 500 pass att.) in passer rating in prime-time games:
In Week 2 (2021), RB Aaron Jones (three receiving, one rushing) became the first player to record four touchdowns on Monday Night Football since RB Marshall Faulk did it against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2000 (ESPN).
Jones was No. 2 in the NFL with eight TDs (four rushing, four receiving) in prime-time games in 2021.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT:
Packers vs Bears:
Regular season, all-time: 102-94-6
All-time, postseason: 1-1 All-time, at home (regular season): 51-42-4
Streaks: Green Bay has won the last six matchups.
Last meeting, regular season: Dec. 12, 2021,
Lambeau Field, Packers won, 45-30
COACHES CAPSULES
Matt LaFleur: 41-14-0, .780; (2-3 postseason); 4th NFL season
Matt Eberflus: 1-0-0, 1.000; (0-0 postseason); 1st NFL season
Head to Head: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Eberflus
vs. Opponent: LaFleur 6-0 vs. Bears; Eberflus 0-0 vs.
Packers
MATT LaFLEUR…In his fourth season as the Packers’ 15th head coach.
In his 14th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (L.A. Rams, 2017; Tennessee, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington, 2010-13; Atlanta, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston, 2008-09).
In his first three seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. With a 13-4 record in 2021, he led the Packers to a third straight NFC North crown while also earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season.
Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed George Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias Sports Bureau). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Mike Ditka’s 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias). u Has guided the Packers to a 22-2 record (.917) in the regular season at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL from 2019-21 and the best home winning percentage by a Packers head coach in his first three seasons. His 22 wins at home are also the most in NFL history by a coach in his first three seasons. u In 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).
MATT EBERFLUS…In his first season as the Bears’ 17th head coach.
Comes to Chicago with 30 years of coaching experience, including 13 in the NFL, and completed his fourth season as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.
Under him, the Colts were the only NFL defensive unit to be ranked in the top 10 in scoring, run defense and takeaways in each of the past two seasons. The Colts finished in the top 10 in the NFL in run defense and takeaways in all four of his years, top 10 in scoring defense in three of the four and were the least-penalized defense in the league in 2019 and 2021. u After inheriting a Colts defense that finished 30th in the NFL in both scoring and total yards in 2017, he helped the unit improve to 10th in scoring and 11th in yards in his first year in 2018. After finishing with a 4-12 record in 2017, the Colts rebounded to earn a Wild Card berth with a 10-6 mark in 2018, beating the Texans in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Chiefs in the divisional round.
THE PACKERS-BEARS SERIES
One of the most storied rivalries in professional sports, the two franchises have met 203 times (regular season and playoffs), which is the most in NFL history. u Starting in 1923, the clubs met for 59 straight years until both games in 1982 were canceled as part of a strike-shortened season.
Have only met in the postseason twice, with the last meeting coming following the 2010 season. With a berth in Super Bowl XLV on the line, the Packers emerged victorious, 21-14, at Soldier Field. u With two wins over the Bears in 2017, Green Bay took and maintained the advantage in the series for the first time since leading 11-10-4 following the 1932 season. u Green Bay is 23-5 against Chicago with QB Aaron Rodgers as the starter (including playoffs).
Chicago (first; 784) and Green Bay (second; 782) are the two winningest teams in the NFL (regular season).
LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON
Dec. 12, 2021, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 45-30
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers completed 29 of 37 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns for a rating of 141.1 – his third highest in 2021.
WR Davante Adams recorded 10 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
CB Rasul Douglas posted a 55-yard INT return for a TD in the second quarter as he became only the second Packer in team history to post an INT return for a TD in back-to-back games (CB Herb Adderley, Sept. 19-26, 1965). Douglas also became the first Green Bay defensive back with two in a season since CB Charles Woodson (three) in 2009. u LB Preston Smith registered four tackles (three solo), a team-best two sacks, a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss and tied for the team lead with three QB hits.
