Chicago Bears

Bears and Packers Set to Open Season for 34th Time

For the 34th time in team history, the Chicago Bears will open their season against the Green Bay Packers when the two historic rivals battle at Soldier Field on Thursday night.

The Bears, who made the playoffs before losing in the first round of the 2018 playoffs, are looking to bounce back after that heartbreaking defeat, and their road to redemption will start with a showdown with a quarterback that has routinely destroyed their hopes throughout his entire career.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made a career out of torturing Bears fans, racking up a staggering 16-5 record in regular season games, throwing for 45 touchdowns and 5,156 yards. Both marks are his best against any other opponent, and he always seems to step up his game in critical moments.

The Packers quarterback added another shining moment to that legacy in last season’s opener, throwing for 286 yards and three touchdowns to lead a staggering comeback against the Bears at Lambeau Field.

Fortunately for the Bears, they were able to return the favor later in the season, holding Rodgers to just 274 yards passing in a 24-17 victory at Soldier Field. The win ended Green Bay’s fading playoff hopes and clinched the NFC North title for the Bears, putting them in the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.

In the 33 previous openers played against the Packers, the Bears have been on the winning end more often than not, sporting a 17-14-2 record in those games.

On the Bears’ side of things, Mitchell Trubisky is hoping to build on the performance he put together in the team’s last meeting with the Packers. In that game, Trubisky threw for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help guide his club to an important victory.

In his career, Trubisky has thrown for 703 yards and three touchdowns in four games against the Packers. He will need to take care of the football, as he’s fumbled three times, but he hasn’t thrown any interceptions, and he’ll look to continue that trend as he goes up against a Packers secondary dealing with a few banged up players.

One other player certainly looking to keep up his quality play against the Packers is Khalil Mack, who terrorized the Bears’ rivals in both games last season. Mack registered seven tackles against the Packers, his high against any team on the season, and had three and a half sacks. He also had an interception return for a touchdown, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the two games.

The game between the Bears and Packers is slated to start at 7:20 p.m., and the contest will air on NBC 5 Chicago.

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