PACKERS FACE THE BEARS AT LAMBEAU
Green Bay will take on division foe Chicago this Sunday at Lambeau Field.
- Sunday will mark game No. 200 in the NFL's oldest rivalry. The Packers hold a 98-95-6 edge in the series, which includes two playoff games (1-1).
- Green Bay looks to sweep the regular-season series between the two teams for the 15th time in the last 26 years (since 1994) and the seventh time in the last 11 seasons.
- The Packers have won nine of the last 11 meetings against the Bears at Lambeau Field.
- Green Bay has won six of the last seven contests against Chicago.
- Each of the last four matchups between the two teams has been decided by a touchdown or less.
- It is the first time since 2008 that the Packers and Bears will play at noon CT at Lambeau Field.
- It will be the sixth game Green Bay has played at noon CT this season, having won the previous five contests.
- It is the first time since 1998 that the Packers and Bears have played in Week 15 at Lambeau Field.
- Sunday is the start of a run of three straight divisional games to finish the regular season for the third time for the Packers since the NFC North was formed in 2002 (2006, 2016).
- QB Aaron Rodgers has a career passer rating of 110.7 in regular-season home games in Dec.-Jan., ranking No. 1 in NFL history (min. 200 pass att.) according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
RODGERS AND THE BEARS
- With Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback, Green Bay is 18-5 (including playoffs) against the Bears, with one loss coming in 2013 after Rodgers left the game with an injury after the first series.
- In the 23 games against Chicago, Rodgers has an overall passer rating of 103.2 and has posted a 100-plus passer rating in six of the last 10 matchups, including a rating of 130.7 at Lambeau last year.
- Of the players that have attempted 250 or more passes against the Bears (including playoffs), Rodgers' 103.2 passer rating is No. 1 in league history (No. 2 - Drew Brees, 95.4).
- Rodgers has six games with a passer rating of 125-plus against the Bears, the most by any QB against the Bears in NFL history (min. 15 att.). Rodgers has three more than any other QB.
KEEPING IT GOING
- Green Bay has won 10 of its first 13 games, marking the seventh time the Packers have won at least 10 of their first 13 games of the regular season since 1970 (13-0 in 2011, 11-2 in 2007 and 10-3 in 2014, 2002, 1997 and 1996).
- With a win over Washington last week, Head Coach Matt LaFleur (10-3) passed Mike Holmgren and Mike Sherman (9-7) for the most NFL wins by a Packer head coach in their first season.
- Green Bay is one of six NFL teams with at least 10 wins this season, with four of those teams residing in the NFC.
- The Packers are 8-2 this season in Sunday games, an .800 winning percentage that ranks No. 3 in the NFL in 2019.
- Green Bay is 7-2 against NFC teams this season with a .778 winning percentage that is tied for No. 2 among NFC teams. The Packers' seven wins against NFC teams are tied for the third most in the NFL this season.
- The Packers have started 3-0 in the NFC North for the first time since 2012 and for just the fourth time (2011 and 2002) since the division was formed in 2002.
- Green Bay joins Dallas, Kansas City and New England (all are 4-0) as the only teams to be undefeated in division games this season.
WITH THE CALL
- FOX Sports, now in its 26th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.
- Play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt joins analyst Charles Davis and sideline reporter Pam Oliver.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) and three-time Packers Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro John Kuhn (sideline) will call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 25th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 21st season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
- Compass Media Networks will broadcast the game nationally on the radio with Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) and Brian Baldinger (analyst) calling the action.
- DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on Channel 712.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Bears:
- Regular season, all-time: 97-94-6
- All-time, postseason: 1-1
- All-time, in Green Bay: 47-42-4
- Streaks: The Packers have won 14 of the last 17 regular-season games against Chicago and three straight matchups in Green Bay.
- Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 5, 2019, Soldier Field, Packers won, 10-3
COACHES CAPSULES
Matt LaFleur: 10-3, .769; 1st NFL season
Matt Nagy: 19-11, .633, (incl. 0-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
Head to Head: 1-0
vs. Opponent: LaFleur 1-0 vs. Bears; Nagy 1-2 vs. Packers
MATT LaFLEUR…In his first season as the Packers' 15th head coach.
- In his 11th season in the NFL, having served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
- Guided the Titans' offense in 2018 to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg) as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL.
- Helped the Rams lead the league in scoring with an average of 29.9 points per game in 2017, more than doubling their average from 2016 (14.0 ppg).
- Tutored QB Matt Ryan, who led the league in passer rating (117.1) in 2016 on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press.
- Coached rookie QB Robert Griffin III with the Redskins in 2012, who became the first QB in team history to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
MATT NAGY…In his second year as the Bears' 16th head coach.
- Led the Bears to a 12-4 regular-season record in his first season as head coach, earning a postseason appearance and taking home Associated Press and PFWA Coach of the Year honors in 2018.
- Guided a Chiefs offense that ranked No. 5 in the NFL in total offense with 375.4 yards per game and finished sixth in the league in points per game (25.9) in 2017.
- Owns 11 seasons of NFL coaching experience, serving on the Philadelphia Eagles' staff from 2008-12 and working with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013-17, including one year (2017) as offensive coordinator.
- Played six seasons at quarterback in the Arena Football League, completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 18,866 yards, 374 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 115.1.
THE PACKERS-BEARS SERIES
- One of the most storied rivalries in professional sports, Sunday's game will be the 200th matchup between these two teams - the most in NFL history.
- 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.
- 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.
- Green Bay is 18-5 against Chicago with QB Aaron Rodgers as the starter.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers S Adrian Amos was drafted by Chicago in 2015 and spent the previous four seasons with the Bears…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur worked with Bears offensive line coach Harry Hiestand at Notre Dame in 2014…Packers assistant offensive line coach Luke Butkus is from Bloom Township, Illinois, and attended the University of Illinois. Butkus, who was signed as a rookie free agent by the Bears in 2002, is the nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus. Butkus was the offensive line coach at his alma mater (2012, 2016-18) and served as the Bears' assistant offensive line coach (2007-09)…Bears defensive assistant Chris Jackson appeared in two games for the Packers at wide receiver from 2002-2003…Packers S Will Redmond was coached by Chicago's secondary coach Deshea Townsend at Mississippi State…Bears DB Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by Green Bay and played for the Packers for five seasons...Green Bay players with connections to Illinois include: WR Geronimo Allison (Illinois), T Bryan Bulaga (Woodstock), S Ibraheim Campbell (Northwestern), WR Jake Kumerow (Bartlett), DL Dean Lowry (Rockford, Northwestern), DL Tyler Lancaster (Plainfield, Northwestern), TE Robert Tonyan (McHenry) and Danny Vitale (Wheaton, Northwestern)...Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy was the athletic director at Northwestern from 2003-07...Packers personnel executive Lee Gissendaner played wide receiver at Northwestern (1990-93)...Packers assistant chief of staff Joe McKillip served as a football operations graduate assistant (2011) and then as the assistant director of football operations and on-campus recruiting coordinator (2012) at Northern Illinois...Chicago assistant offensive line coach Donovan Raiola played for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2002-05...Bears director of player engagement Lamar Campbell also played collegiately at Wisconsin (1994-97)...Chicago general manager Ryan Pace was the director of pro scouting for New Orleans when the club drafted Packers TE Jimmy Graham in the third round of the 2010 draft...During Pace's tenure working for the Saints from 2001-14, Packers executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball served on the New Orleans staff...Graham teamed with Bears QB Chase Daniel (2010-12) and DL Akiem Hicks (2012-14) in New Orleans. Graham also played alongside Chicago OL Bradley Sowell (2016) and LB Kevin Pierre-Louis (2016) while in Seattle...Packers LB Za'Darius Smith and Bears DB Brent Urban played four seasons together in Baltimore (2015-18)...Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard and Chicago special teams coordinator Chris Tabor coached together for the Browns from 2014-15...Tabor and Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga worked together in Cleveland for seven seasons (2011-17)…Green Bay TE Marcedes Lewis played with Chicago DB Prince Amukamara and WR Allen Robinson II in Jacksonville...Packers secondary coach Jason Simmons was teammates with Chicago quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone on the Houston Texans from 2003-05...Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith and Bears head coach Matt Nagy were on the Kansas City coaching staff together for two seasons (2016-17)...Packers K Mason Crosby played at Colorado in 2006 while Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich served in the same role...Bears wide receivers coach Matt Furrey played for Washington when both LaFleur and Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti were on the staff (2010)...Bears WR Taylor Gabriel signed as an undrafted free agent with Cleveland in 2014 when Pettine was the head coach...Gabriel and Bears DT Nick Williams played for the Falcons when LaFleur was quarterbacks coach…Bears DB Buster Skrine was also coached by Pettine on the Browns in 2014…Pettine also worked with Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano in Baltimore (2008)...Bears OL Cornelius Lucas was on the Los Angeles Rams' roster while LaFleur was the offensive coordinator…Former college teammates include: Packers CB Tony Brown, P JK Scott and Bears DB Eddie Jackson (Alabama); Packers CB Josh Jackson and Bears OL James Daniels (Iowa); Packers S Darnell Savage and Bears LB Josh Woods (Maryland); Amos and Bears WR Allen Robinson II (Penn State); Packers RB Tyler Ervin and Bears LB Isaiah Irving (San Jose State); Packers RB Aaron Jones and Bears DE Roy Robertson-Harris (Texas-El Paso); Packers LB Kyler Fackrell and Bears LS Patrick Scales (Utah State).
