The Chicago Bears boast one of the NFL’s most dominant ground games, and quarterback Caleb Williams has won five games in comeback fashion this season, but head coach Ben Johnson has a healthy amount of respect for coordinator Jeff Hafley and the Packers‘ defense.
Sunday’s game between the Bears and Packers could go a long way towards deciding the NFC North race, and pits one of the league’s most stout rushing defenses against Johnson’s offense that is built on a dominant ground game opening up opportunities for Williams in the passing game.
Bears’ Ben Johnson has high praise for Packers defense
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Entering Sunday, with the Bears looking not only for validation but to take a major step towards securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Johnson understands the task at hand against the Packers’ defense.
“It might be the best defense we’ve seen all year,” Johnson told reporters this week during his media availability. “So, all hands on deck. It’s going to take all three phases for us here this week.”
Green Bay enters Sunday as the No. 4 ranked defense in the league, holding opponents to 284.8 yards per game, and are eighth against the run, with opponents averaging 98.3 rushing yards per game.
Safe to say, the Packers are going to be a big test for the Bears, and if Hafley’s troops can hold D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai under 100 yards, it’s going to go a long way towards Green Bay pulling off the kind of win that reshapes the playoff race.
“Personnel-wise, they’re pretty loaded across the board,” Johnson said. “You’ve got multiple guys up front that you have to be aware of. Starting with Micah doing a great job moving around, so it’s hard to get a beat for where he’s going to be. Rashan Gary’s still playing at a high level, and then they’ve got a lot of depth up there too. But you can tell they’re really well coached.”
