The Chicago Bears kickoff their centennial season welcoming a familiar foe into Soldier Field as the Green Bay Packers come to town for a Thursday Night Football feature.
This marks the first time the Bears have opened the season against the Packers in back-to-back seasons since playing them in three consecutive openers from 1979-81.
While the Bears are reigning NFC North champions, the Packers always pose a threat, especially with No. 12 under center. Considering how last season’s opener ended, the Bears need to focus on starting strong and finishing just as strong.
Here are five bold predictions for the Bears’ opener versus the Packers.
Mitch Trubisky outplays Aaron Rodgers
This might sound like the boldest of the bold predictions if you ask most NFL analysts, but Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky will outplay Packers quarterback and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers on Thursday.
It’s not too crazy, especially considering the last time these two teams met. Last December, Trubisky out-dueled Rodgers in a 24-17 win that locked up the NFC North. Trubisky completed 20-of-28 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 120.4.
Rodgers struggled against Chicago’s defense, completing 25-of-42 passes for 274 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 68.9. He was also sacked five times.
If the Bears defense can continue to pressure Rodgers, and if Trubisky can play like he did in their last meeting, this bold prediction might not be too bold.
Kicker Eddy Pineiro has perfect game
While this shouldn’t be a bold prediction for any normal kicker, the kicker situation is anything but normal in Chicago. All eyes will be on Eddy Pineiro, who makes his first NFL start with the Bears.
Matt Nagy has thrown challenge after challenge his way, and Pineiro has passed with flying colors. However, he hasn’t experienced anything quite like a regular-season game before, especially one of this magnitude.
Pineiro has the confidence and the swagger that just might make him the kicker the Bears have been waiting for. While this game hopefully doesn’t come down to a Pineiro field goal, look for him to have some clutch opportunities.
Allen Robinson has first 100-yard game of season
The Bears have plenty of offensive weapons at their disposal, but perhaps the one that has the biggest potential to break-out this season is wide receiver Allen Robinson.
While his stats weren’t the stuff of fantasy football dreams, Robinson had a solid debut in Chicago last season with 55 receptions for 754 yards and four touchdowns. It was less the stats and more of the eye test that told the full story on Robinson.
And it was his last game — the playoff loss to the Eagles — that resonates. Robinson had 10 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown in the losing effort.
Now that Robinson has had a full healthy offseason, as well as experience in the system, he has the potential to be a force in this offense. That could all start Thursday against the Packers, where a 100-yards performance isn’t asking too much.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix nabs interception against former team
While it might not be a national focal point, this season opener pits two opposing safeties from a season ago against each other. Former Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is now with the Bears, while former Bears safety Adrian Amos is with the Packers.
With Clinton-Dix essentially on a one-year-prove-it deal, this season provides him an opportunity to earn a big contract next season. He should benefit from a dominant front seven.
And while Aaron Rodgers only threw two interceptions in 2018, this Bears defense might be even better than a season ago. If it’s not Eddie Jackson that picks off Rodgers, it should be Clinton-Dix.
Or maybe both. But the new safety should have a big game against his former team and show that he was an upgrade over Adrian Amos.
Khalil Mack registers a strip sack and pick-six
Just call it the Khalil Mack special. If I’d have told you one year ago that in his first game with the Chicago Bears that Mack would have a strip sack and a pick-six within one half of football, you’d have thought I was crazy.
But as Bears fans have learned in one season of Mack, there’s nothing too crazy when it comes to what he can accomplish.
Last year, he notched 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and a pick-six. Now, with a full training camp and season under his belt in Chicago, Mack is even hungrier to perform. The only thing more impressive than a strip sack and pick-six is accomplishing the feat in consecutive seasons.
