The Chicago Bears are essentially a new team compared to just one year ago. So, there is a fair expectation that we will be seeing some new things when the team takes the field to start the 2023 season. What are some of the biggest questions that we can start to find an answer to when the Bears host the Green Bay Packers week one?
10. How improved is the Chicago Bears run defense?
If the Chicago Bears went out of their way to sure up one thing on defense, it was the run defense. Some fans were disappointed by the lack of a pass rush added before Yannick Ngakoue. While Gervon Dexter has pass-rush upside, Zacch Pickens is a run-stopper first. Andrew Billings is known for his run defense, and both DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green have kept careers in the NFL because of their run defense more than their pass rusher.
When you add in that the Bears paid big at linebacker, it is easy to see that they wanted to address this area and let the pass rush develop. So, the Green Bay Packers will be as good of a test as any.
They have a solid interior offensive line, but there is at least some sorting. Still, the Packers have a rushing attack that they know how to use with or without Aaron Rodgers. In fact, the Packers being without Rodgers not only has the Packers incentivized to run the ball more, it also adds Jordan Love, a quarterback who can add to the run game himself.
If the Chicago Bears run game is better, we will see it early on in this game. If not, the Packers will control things.
9. What kind of role does D'onta Foreman have with the Chicago Bears?
The preseason usage of D'onta Foreman was suggesting that he was falling out of favor. Some media reports had him as a sleeper to get cut, but he made the roster and is still the backup over Roschon Johnson. So, it at least brings up the question of what his role will be.
The vibes all preseason are that Khalil Herbert will steal the show and handle most of the work. Still, he lacks the inside power and vision and has struggled in the passing game over the years. This has led to him never owning the backfield. Are the Chicago Bears really going to throw Herbert out for the entire game as a bellcow for the first time in week one? Probably not.
This game actually sets up well for Foreman as well. The Packers have a poor run defense, and the mobility of Justin Fields can spread the defense wide. An inside runner who can take what is given can rip them up. Herbert will have his success, but he is best against teams that cannot protect the edge, and he can hit runs to the outside. With this being such a weakness and such a need for Foreman, is he a sneaky fantasy football player? Do we learn this split is tighter than the preseason suggested?
8. Can Chicago Bears CB Kyler Gordon handle rookie WR Jayden Reed?
Kyler Gordon is probably still having nightmares about the first time he played the Green Bay Packers. The rookie was tasked with playing both inside and outside, and in week two, he was playing Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers attacked him all night, and the Packers won with ease.
Kyler Gordon allowed 163 yards and two touchdowns and was being burnt by guys such as Sammy Watkins, and Randall Cobb. It was bad, and a sign to come for most of the year. Now, Gordon is in year two, and looking to change his fate.
This year he is not only more experienced, he has less responsibility on his plate. He is not going to be asked to play outside after the Chicago Bears drafted Tyrique Stevenson, so this summer, he focused his attention on the slot. This should allow him to be better in one area.
That also means that he will mainly see one name on Sunday, and that is Jayden Reed. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs mostly live on the outside, and they have carved out a role for the rookie from Michigan State in the slot. Reed has promise as a prospect, but it is his first game. Kyler Gordon has to win this matchup. Like last year against Green Bay, if Gordon struggles, you have to think this will be a theme. If he shuts down Jayden Reed, then fans have to love what is happening with his progress.
7. Did things speed up for Justin Fields?
This will be the question throughout the year, but the vibes will start based on how Justin Fields performs in this game. First, he has not beaten the Green Bay Packers yet. Second, this is a make-or-break year for him. Even though the offensive line has its questions, the Chicago Bears did enough for Fields that there are no questions about whether he had adequate help.
If Justin Fields does not play better this year, it is on him. The Green Bay Packers defense is talented on paper, but it never seems to live up to those expectations. Some of that could be because their defensive coordinator has struggled.
They brought him back, and while they look good on paper again, that is a real question with this roster. If Justin Fields has a better line, better skill players, and a defense he has seen before, and he still is hesitating, it is hard to say he will get better as the year goes on. Our thoughts on Fields for the rest of the season may hinge on this week.
6. How will the Chicago Bears highly-paid LBs handle the Green Bay Packers duo at RB?
If the Green Bay Packers want to win this game, they have to rely on their two-headed monster at running back. Both Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon have had their share of memorable moments against the Chicago Bears, and the Bears have claimed to have done something about it.
With Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, the Chicago Bears essentially added two players who can stop this duo in differing ways. Edmunds will be the MIKE and will have to hold down the run defense up the middle. That means not budging in the Oklahoma drill against A.J. Dillon.
Then, Aaron Jones has the lateral playmaking ability. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and turn it up from the flats. Edwards was signed to fill the run-and-chase role, and he is so instinctive that he often shuts down these plays from the jump.
If the linebacker duo forces Green Bay to away from these two, the money spent will start to add up real quickly. If Dillon plows over Edmunds, and Jones runs right past Edwards, this will be a serious talking point on Monday.
5. Will we see Equanimeous St. Brown with a role on the Chicago Bears offense?
The Chicago Bears wide receiver room will be interesting to see shake out this season. On paper, we will see plenty of Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, but you have to wonder how much Equanimeous St. Brown will spell them.
Mooney is returning from an ankle injury and may be closer to just a slot role. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have been easing in Chase Claypool, and he missed most of the offseason. That is not great for a player who was out of the loop and needed the experience last year.
So, you have to wonder if either Mooney or Claypool are given short breaks where St. Brown is the better option. This also makes sense from the rushing perspective. Green Bay is better against the pass than the run.
The Chicago Bears are better at running than passing. The game plan should be for Chicago to run it right at Green Bay and make them stop it before trying other avenues. This could mean leaning to the run-blocking wide receiver. It would be a nod to St. Brown taking on a reduced role but still having a strong preseason while the guys above him have hardly hit the field.
4. Is the Chicago Bears interior offensive line ready to sort itself out?
The Chicago Bears interior offensive line in week one will not be what they wanted it to be when they left the NFL draft, or when they left OTAs or even the first preseason game. Still, the injury to Teven Jenkins threw a wrench into things.
Not only will Jenkins miss time, but Cody Whitehair has a hand injury that is preventing him from playing center. The Bears may have wanted to shift Whitehair back to guard anyway, but now they have an excuse to do it. So, it leaves Lucas Patrick next to Whitehair and Nate Davis, who has hardly practiced with the team all summer.
Davis has about a week to get used to Patrick and has not had much time with rookie Darnell Wright, either. It is a lot to expect Davis to hit the ground running. It is a lot to ask Cody Whitehair to do this position dance every single year, and now it is a lot to ask Lucas Patrick to stay healthy when he hardly has been able to.
Something tells me that Dan Feeney, who was just acquired from the Jets, will have to see the field sooner than later. It could be at any of the interior spots, too.
3. Will we see the Chicago Bears NASCAR look up front?
We only got a glimpse of it, mainly because Yannick Ngakoue hardly played, and DeMarcus Walker did not play in the preseason. However, if you know the usage of Walker and watched the preseason, you know that the Chicago Bears are looking to debut a NASCAR package at some point. That is a speed rusher look where the interior linemen are edge rushers.
The Chicago Bears slide Rasheem Green at times for this look in the preseason. Imagine Green next to DeMarcus Walker inside with Dominique Robinson and Yannick Ngakoue on the outside. Robinson is not refined but is good on stunts and twists. This look would provide the ability to make those calls with plenty of speed.
Beyond that, it would be putting all of the linemen on alert. The issue is that the Bears have to earn that look. They cannot deploy it with any chance of a run, so they have to be in obvious pass looks. This means having Jordan Love behind the sticks or the Green Bay Packers behind on the scoreboard. Both would be good signs and fun chances to watch the pass rush at its best.
2. How will Darnell Wright handle Rashan Gary?
This will be the matchup to watch. On paper, it looks like a mismatch, but there are reasons for both sides to think that they can walk away with a win. First, Wright is a top-ten pick. He has that talent. He shut down Will Anderson because Anderson wins with power and lacks counters. Gary is as strong as they come, but he often wins the same way as Anderson.
Still, this is a rookie, and his first game is against one of the best rushers in the NFL. Gary has been breaking out and is about to hit his peak. He has the experience and is physically more prepared. However, he is coming back from an ACL, and his return in week one will be mighty early.
Did Gary come back too soon, and will he struggle to get back up to speed? Does that make the rookie Wright physically capable of handling this? Does Wright need help? There are so many questions with this matchup that must be answered.
1. Can Braxton Jones hold down the Chicago Bears offensive line?
Whether the Chicago Bears win or not will almost assuredly come down to Justin Fields. However, how well Fields plays will almost assuredly come down to Braxton Jones. Jones has to hold down the left side of the offensive line.
As we noted, almost everywhere else is a question mark. Cody Whitehair spent the summer at center just to move back. Lucas Patrick thought he would be a backup and has been injured most of the summer. Nate Davis has hardly practiced. Darnell Wright is a rookie and gets the Packers' best edge rusher.
This means that Braxton Jones has to hold this thing down. He does not get Gary, so he will not get the help. He is the most consistent name in the starting lineup and the only one without real questions coming out of training camp. It is a lot to ask from your former fifth-round pick entering his second year, but he has to be the stabling force. His play in this game will dictate the outcome as much as any Chicago Bears player.