Going into their rematch with the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears don't have much to say. The message is pretty simple. They know what's at stake. They understand what this week means.
As for what exactly they're going up against, on Saturday night, the Bears might actually see a Packers team that is down a few key players. On Tuesday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur met with the Green Bay media and gave some thoughts on the team's recent injuries. To put it bluntly, he said this:
“This injury list is pretty substantial.”
Of course, the most significant talking point amongst the two fan bases this week is the loss of star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who suffered a torn ACL in the Packers' Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos. We know Parsons is out, but the Packers actually have a few more integral pieces who could be missing.
The Bears might see a Packers team without three key starters in Week 16
Let's start with wide receiver Christian Watson, who went down with an apparent chest injury in the game against Denver. It didn't look good at first, as Watson even left the stadium in an ambulance.
Further evaluations show that Watson avoided serious injury, but he remains a long shot to play this week based on the feel around the team. If Watson is out, the Bears won't have to face the Packers' clear-cut, no. 1 wide receiver, who had been on a tear before getting hurt.
From there, Green Bay saw starting right tackle Zach Tom go down with a knee injury. Like Watson, it doesn't look like he will have a good chance at playing against the Bears.
And finally, Packers starting safety Evan Williams also suffered a knee injury. And, like Tom, it doesn't seem like he has a strong shot at playing in Week 16.
Tom, specifically, is an interesting one because he's one of the top-graded offensive tackles per Pro Football Focus. He has strong grades in both run blocking and pass protection, but if he can't go, that's a big loss for Green Bay. And it's a huge advantage for a Bears defense that has feasted on turnovers.
Not to say the Bears have a forceful defensive line, but if they can even get a little more pressure on Jordan Love, just one more takeaway would go a long way in a rivalry game like this.
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Stay tuned, the rest of the week, for more updates on these key enemy injuries.