The Green Bay Packers may enter the most important game of the season when they host the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
A win guarantees Matt LaFleur’s youngest team in the NFL a chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy as it would secure a wildcard spot in the NFC playoffs. A victory would likely set up a road matchup with the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles or Dallas Cowboys, with a variety of scenarios possible depending on how things pan out with other teams across the conference.
Not to get too far ahead, but if the Pack pulls off the win vs. their division rival, LaFleur’s team is built — especially on offense — to potentially upset a team in the first round of the NFC playoffs and history has proven anything can happen when a team makes it in and gets hot.
But for now, all focus is on the Chicago Bears, who have improved drastically late this season winning four of their last six games. They would love nothing more than to snap their 8-game losing streak against the Green Bay Packers, likely knock them out of the playoffs on their home field, but also will be playing their starters and seeking a win for a variety of important reasons when considering the future.
The bottom line is Chicago will come motivated to win. There are questions about their coaching staff’s future, an 8-game losing streak they would love to snap and ongoing debates about the future of Justin Fields and how the organization will choose to utilize the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
So for a variety of reasons, the Bears will come into Lambeau motivated to pull a gut-wrenching upset for Packers fans.
Luckily for LaFleur and the Green Bay coaching staff, there’s a chance the team could be the healthiest it’s been in a long time, which could play a pivotal role in pulling off the win-and-in matchup, especially if one player on the injury list can suit up.
Why Green Bay Packers Tight End Duo Of Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft Could Be A Game-Changer Vs. The Chicago Bears
The Bears enter the Week 18 showdown with a defense that is playing as good as any team in the league.
Since acquiring pass rusher Montez Sweat from Washington in late October, the Chicago Bears have had an unprecedented resurgence on the defensive side of the ball which has helped the team win five of its last seven games.
The unit enters Week 18 leading the NFL in both interceptions with 22 and run defense, yielding an average of just 84.0 yards per game.
LaFleur has developed a trust in first-year QB Jordan Love that wasn’t necessarily the case early this season — and the Packers offense filled with a bevy of rookies and young players on offense at key skill positions — have thrived.
Last week, they faced a formidable in their win against the Minnesota Vikings, but the Packers offense was nearly unstoppable. They put up 493 yards of total offense with a balanced attack (293 passing, 173 rushing), averaged 6.4 yards per play, were 9-of-14 on third down, had 28 first downs and only punted the ball twice.
Despite a bevy of injuries on offense this season including to star TE Luke Musgrave who was having a fantastic rookie debut until he suffered a kidney injury, it’s clear general manager Brian Gunekunst carefully crafted a roster that had depth who could step in a thrive, even when most of the players came into 2023 with no or little NFL experience.
LaFleur has been able to open up the playbook, trick opposing defenses with creative formations and plays and make Love’s job easier with so many dynamic weapons at his disposal. But without Luke Musgrave at TE, the team has turned to another rookie TE, Tucker Kraft, who has thrived in his absence.
But on Sunday, there’s a chance for an even bigger upgrade for the Green Bay Packers offense, a unit PFF ranks 7th in the NFL heading into the divisional showdown.
On Saturday, the Packers announced rookie Luke Musgrave will be active for Sunday’s game— and with the emergence of Tucker Kraft’s versatility in his absence, the duo together on the field at once could create major problems for a ascending Bears defense.
Prior to Musgrave’s kidney injury, he was on pace to be one of the most productive rookie tight ends in team history. Through Week 11, Musgrave had 33 receptions for 341 yards and a touchdown. His big play ability was also starting to show up more consistently as well.
In Musgrave’s absence, the Packers have seen the emergence of Tucker Kraft, who has seen growth from a development standpoint at an exponential rate once given this opportunity. In the last six games, Kraft has caught 23-of-28 targets for 281 yards and two scores.
During that span, Kraft ranks sixth among all tight ends in yards after the catch, according to PFF, and has proven to be an improved and capable run blocker.
From a play-calling standpoint for Matt LaFleur, having both Musgrave and Kraft, who can affect both the run and passing games positively, it opens up the playbook for him. This then allows the Green Bay Packers to get much more creative, especially from 12 personnel, when both tight ends are on the field.
Luke Musgrave returning to the lineup can’t be overstated.
“That would be great to have two legitimate threats at tight end,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said.
“Especially when you can be multiple with your personnel and still be able to not only run the ball but have that vertical threat down the field at any time, that’s always huge.
“So having those two guys on the field making plays is great for us. It opens up a lot of things in the playbook, just as far as different things you can do from different personnel.”
It’s likely the Chicago Bears have been studying every aspect of how the Green Bay Packers have morphed into one of the more dynamic offenses in the league.
But now with the announcement Luke Musgrave is ready to roll, it’s unlikely they will have prepped for packages and plays LaFleur has been waiting to utilize.
