Chicago Bears: Relying on Defense to Beat Packers Never Works

The Chicago Bears have leaned on their defense for success since the very origins of the NFL back in the roaring 1920s, but times and sports change.

Already there is a thick layer of fear around this team due in large part to the recent string of injuries to key defensive players. Leonard Floyd broke his hand and required surgery after the preseason game in Denver. Akiem Hicks is dealing with a sore knee. Roquan Smith tweaked his hamstring. Prince Amukamara is dealing with a groin issue. That’s a lot of front-line talent dealing with health issues.

With the Green Bay Packers on the horizon, this is almost a doomsday scenario. There’s no way the Bears can win without the defense. The defense is the key, right? This has been the belief for ages in regards to the rivalry, and it’s a belief that is dangerously flawed and why the Packers have owned the Bears for so long. Defense is not the key to beating the Packers. Scoring points is.

Care for an interesting stat? Aaron Rodgers took over as starting quarterback in 2008. Since that time, the Bears are 3-4 in games against Green Bay when they score at least 20 points in a game. They are 1-13 when they fail to accomplish this feat. This isn’t rocket science folks. You’re not going to beat good teams in this era without putting points on the board.

Ryan Pace was smart to prioritize rebuilding the offense

More from NFL Mocks

People should give credit to GM Ryan Pace for recognizing this simple reality. The NFL rulebook is stacked against defenses. Having great ones is never bad, but at some point, it’s inevitable that the offense will be forced to carry the load. Too often the defensively-driven teams aren’t able to do so. Just look at the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings of last year for an idea.

That’s why drafting Mitch Trubisky, overhauling the wide receiving corps and hiring Matt Nagy as head coach were all the right decisions. Getting over that Green Bay hump isn’t going to take more defense. The Bears had one of the best defenses in the NFL for a long time with Brian Urlacher and that bunch. They still couldn’t beat them. Why? It’s hard to beat a team when you’re scoring 14-17 points per game.

The Bears have scored 20 points or more against the Packers just once in the past five games. If anything is going to change, they have to rectify that. It starts on Sunday night in the opener. Having the defense healthy will be a big help, but stopping Rodgers and that Packers offense is next to impossible. The only way to have a chance is by forcing them to keep it up for four quarters without making a mistake.

Home/NFL Hot Takes