The Green Bay Packers travel to Chicago to face the Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday.
- Sunday will mark game No. 198 in the NFL's oldest rivalry.
- The Packers hold a 97-94-6 edge in the series, which includes two playoff games (1-1).
- The Packers won the first meeting this season, 24-23, in Week 1.
- Green Bay has won 15 of the last 17 games against Chicago during the regular and postseason.
- Dating back to the 2016 season, the Packers have won five consecutive games over the Bears.
- Five of the last six games between the two at Soldier Field have been decided by single digits.
- Including the postseason Green Bay has won eight straight games at Soldier Field.
- The Packers have won four in a row at Chicago in December.
- Including a 2010 playoff victory at Chicago, Green Bay has won 21 of the last 25 meetings between the rivals at Soldier Field.
- Green Bay has scored 30-plus points at Chicago in four of the last five matchups (33, 38, 31, 30, 23).
- It is the third time since 2012 that the Packers have played at Chicago in Week 15 (2012, 2016).
- The Packers end the season with two road games in the final three weeks for the seventh straight year.
- In Week 16, Green Bay will play its final road game of the regular season, traveling east to take on the New York Jets. It will be the third December game at the Jets in team history (1981, 2002).
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RODGERS AND THE BEARS
- With Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback, Green Bay is 17-4 during the regular and postseason against the Bears, with one loss coming in 2013 after Rodgers left the game with an injury after the first series.
- In the 21 games against Chicago, Rodgers has an overall passer rating of 105.9 and has posted a 100-plus passer rating in six of the last eight matchups, including a rating of 130.7 in the first meeting this season.
- Of the players that have attempted 200 or more passes against the Bears during the regular and postseason, Rodgers' 105.9 passer rating is No. 1 in league history (No. 2 - Drew Brees, 95.4).
- Since 2008, Rodgers has six games with a passer rating of 125-plus against the Bears, ranking No. 1 among NFL quarterbacks. No other NFL quarterback has more than one against Chicago over that time span. It is also the most by any QB against the Bears in NFL history (min.15 att.).
THE FINAL STRETCH
- Since 2006, the Packers are 40-18 in the regular season in December/ January, a .689 winning percentage that ranks No. 1 in the NFC and No. 3 in the NFL over that span (Sportradar).
- With Rodgers as the starter, the Packers are 28-12 during the regular season in December/January (.700).
- As a starter, Rodgers has thrown 81 touchdowns and just 21 interceptions with a passer rating of 101.5 in December/January. His 101.5 rating is No. 2 in the NFL among active players (min. 300 pass att.), trailing only Seattle QB Russell Wilson (102.2), according to Sportradar.
WITH THE CALL
FOX Sports, now in its 25th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.
- Play-by-play man Chris Myers joins analyst Daryl Johnston and sideline reporter Laura Okmin.
- 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) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 24th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 20th season of broadcasts together. In Week 1, they surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
- Sports USA Radio will air the game on radio across the country. Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and Doug Plank (analyst) will call 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: 96-93-6
- All-time, postseason: 1-1
- All-time, in Chicago: 49-52-2
- Streaks: The Packers have won five consecutive regular-season games against Chicago and 15 of the last 17 meetings.
- Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 9, 2018, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 24-23
COACHES CAPSULES
Joe Philbin: 25-28, .472; 5th NFL season
Matt Nagy: 9-4, .692; 1st NFL season
Head to Head: 0-0
vs. Opponent: Philbin 1-0 vs. Bears; Nagy 0-1 vs. Packers
JOE PHILBIN…Is the Packers' interim head coach.
- Is in his second stint with the Packers, having coached on Green Bay's staff from 2003-11, including five seasons (2007-11) as offensive coordinator.
- Helped the Packers offense rank in the top 10 in the league in total yards and total points each year from 2007-11.
- In 2011, led a Green Bay offense that set single-season franchise records for total points (560), touchdowns (70), total yards (6,482) and net passing yards (4,924).
- As head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2012-15, helped Miami increase its win total in 2012 and 2013, one of only four teams in the NFL to improve its record in both of those seasons.
- Prior to joining the NFL ranks, coached on the collegiate level for 19 seasons.
MATT NAGY…Is in his first year as the Bears' 16th head coach.
- Owns 10 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.
- 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) last season.
- Overall, helped the Chiefs to the postseason four times in his five seasons with the club.
- 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, no two teams have met on the gridiron more than the Packers and Bears as Sunday marks the 198th matchup.
- 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 17-4 against Chicago with QB Aaron Rodgers as the starter.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy was the athletic director at Northwestern from 2003-07...Green Bay special teams coordinator Ron Zook was the head coach at the University of Illinois from 2005-11...Chicago defensive backs coach Ed Donatell was the defensive coordinator for the Packers from 2000-03...Packers defense – run game coordinator/ inside linebackers coach Patrick Graham is from Des Planes, Ill. ...Packers S Josh Jones and T Jason Spriggs were born in Chicago, Ill. ...Green Bay T Bryan Bulaga was born in Barrington, Ill. and played at Marian Central Catholic High in Woodstock, Ill. ...Packers DL Dean Lowry (Rockford), DL Tyler Lancaster (Plainfield) and FB Danny Vitale (Wheaton) are all Illinois natives and each also played collegiately at Northwestern...Green Bay LB James Crawford played at Illinois (2014-17)...Packers WR Jake Kumerow is from Bartlett, Ill. and played at Illinois for one season (2011) before transferring to Wisconsin-Whitewater...Green Bay TE Robert Tonyan hails from McHenry, Ill. ...Packers personnel executive Lee Gissendaner played wide receiver at Northwestern (1990-93)...Bears OL Bryan Witzmann is from Houlton, Wis. ...Chicago assistant offensive line coach Donovan Raiola played for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2002- 05...Bears director of player engagement Lamar Campbell also played for Wisconsin (1994-97)...Chicago general manager Ryan Pace was a 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, Zook, offense – pass game coordinator Jim Hostler and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti all served on the New Orleans staff...Graham teamed with Bears QB Chase Daniel (2010-12) and DL Akiem Hicks (2012-14) in New Orleans. He also played alongside Chicago OL Bradley Sowell in Seattle in 2016...Green Bay CB Tramon Williams was teammates with Bears K Cody Parkey in Cleveland in 2016...Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, tight ends coach Brian Angelichio and Chicago special teams coordinator Chris Tabor coached together for the Browns from 2014-15...Green Bay TE Marcedes Lewis played with Chicago DB Prince Amukamara and WR Allen Robinson in Jacksonville...Packers TE Lance Kendricks and Bears RB Benny Cunningham played together from 2013-16 for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams...Kendricks also played with Chicago OL Eric Cush for one season (2015) in St. Louis...Cignetti and Green Bay running backs coach Ben Sirmans coached for the Rams during this time (2012-15)...Green Bay offense – run game coordinator/offensive line coach James Campen played in New Orleans for two seasons (1987-88) while Chicago defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was on the Saints' coaching staff...Fangio coached alongside Pettine and Hostler in Baltimore... Packers secondary coach Jason Simmons was teammates with Chicago quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone on the Houston Texans from 2003- 05...Additionally, Fangio served as Simmons' defensive coordinator for four seasons (2002-05) in Houston...Green Bay interim head coach Joe Philbin coached at Harvard for two seasons (1997-98) while Bears director of player personnel Josh Lucas played safety for the team...Bears tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride coached with Cignetti and Graham on the New York Giants' coaching staff for two seasons (2016-17)... Packers K Mason Crosby played at Colorado in 2006 while Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich was on the coaching staff...Green Bay QB DeShone Kizer and WR Equanimeous St. Brown played at Notre Dame while Chicago offensive line coach Harry Hiestand and Raiola were on the coaching staff...Former college teammates include: Packers P JK Scott and Bears DB Eddie Jackson (Alabama), Packers LB Antonio Morrison, Bears DL Jonathan Bullard and TE Trey Burton (Florida), Packers T Jason Spriggs and Bears RB Jordan Howard (Indiana), Packers CB Josh Jackson and Bears OL James Daniels (Iowa) and Packers WR Randall Cobb and Bears LB Danny Trevathan (Kentucky).
LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON
Sept. 9, 2018, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 24-23
- Green Bay posted the second-largest comeback win in team history at Lambeau Field, coming back from a 20-point deficit to defeat Chicago.
- Packers QB Aaron Rodgers returned in the second half after leaving the game with a knee injury, finishing with a 130.7 passer rating (20 of 30, 286 yards, three TDs).
- Green Bay WR Randall Cobb led the team with a career-high 142 receiving yards on nine catches (15.8 avg.), including the game-winning 75-yard TD catch that was the longest reception of his career.
*This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here: *