Green Bay Defense Has Real Ownership

It hasn't been Aaron Rodgers as much as it's been the Green Bay defense which has been the problem for the Bears in their current five-game losing streak against the Packers.

A great myth has been perpetrated by Aaron Rodgers with his proclamation of ownership rights over the Bears.

"I still own you," actually was a slap in the face of his own defense.

He should have said "we still own you."

Rodgers only had to lead the Green Bay offense to more than 16 points one time in the current Packers winning streak over the Bears.  They've scored more than that, but it's the Green Bay defense that has actually owned Matt Nagy's Bears.

The Bears had 14 points in the last game, 16 in the previous game, 13 in the game before that and in the 2019 season opener they kicked a field goal.

 The only game in the stretch when the offense simply outscored the Bears was in 2021 when they won 41-25, but even in that one the Green Bay defense so dominated the Bears that the score was 27-3 in the first half, and one of the Packer touchdowns came on a Preston Smith fumble return.

Rodgers has been around so long now perhaps the games and seasons run together because there was a time when this was entirely true. The Bears couldn't stop Rodgers. But it's been more of a total team effort than his ownership claim suggests.

Even amid total domination, there are individual matchups the Packers must overcome because the Bears are not a total clown car. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dominated both Minnesota (5-1) and Detroit (7-1) in Nagy's coaching tenure.

Here are the matchups where the Packers actually have to worry in Sunday night's game.

Bears OLB Robert Quinn vs. Packers LT Yosh Nijman

Quinn has 11 sacks and needs a sack for his second-highest season total, coming off a November when he was chosen NFC Defensive Player of the Month. He's going to be double-teamed and chipped more than ever until it's proven Akiem Hicks is 100% and there is a pass rush off the opposite end from Trevis Gipson. Quinn isn't confining his contribution to sacks, either, as he's been instrumental at stopping the run and even defending some passes. Nijman is a former practice squad player and an undrafted free agent who the Packers have trained and then used because David Bakhtiari is still unavailable after rehabbing a torn ACL, and now backup Elgton Jenkins is out for the year following Green Bay's Nov. 21 loss to Minnesota. Jenkins started in Green Bay's October win over the Bears. Nijman has made five appearances and four starts at left tackle this season. He has allowed two sacks and 10 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bears S Tashaun Gipson vs. Packers TE Josiah Deguara

Gipson has had another decent season with an 87.2 passer rating against when targeted and only five missed tackles in 34 attempts. The Bears have managed to get him up near the line more and so the average depth of target for targets against him this year is only 4 yards, where last year it was 12.5 yards under former defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. So Gipson, who has allowed one TD pass according to NFL stat partner Sportradar, is more adept covering tight ends. The Bears had problems covering Robert Tonyan last year but he is out for the season with an ACL tear and Degura has had most of the snaps in the last two games. The third-round 2020 draft pick from Cincinnati made two catches in each of his five games and is picking up the offense better now. The Packers might still start 37-year-old Marcedes Lewis depending on their emphasis. Lewis is an excellent blocker who has contributed some receptions this year, as well. At 6-2, 238, Deguara is more of a "U" type of tight end who can get downfield better at age 24 than Lewis.

Bears WR Allen Robinson vs. Packers CB Rasul Douglas

Robinson has returned to practice after sitting out since Nov. 8 with a hamstring injury and the Bears have missed his sure hands and route running. Darnell Mooney, in particular, benefits from having Robinson back because he doesn't attract as much coverage when the best contested-coverage receiver from 2019 and 2020 in the NFL is in the lineup. Kevin King has been injured and the entire Packers cornerback situation is up in the air for this game but Douglas has become a solid performer after the put him in the lineup. King is more prone to big mistakes but capable of big plays. The Packers could activate Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander this week but he's been away a few months on IR and it's his first week of limited practices as the window opened for bringing him back. If he played, they would have a completely different alignment in the secondary than they've been using.

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