National Sports

Packers look to regain upper hand on Bears

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- After beating the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North title and knocking them out of the playoffs last season, the Chicago Bears have one more opportunity to show definitively that a new chapter has started in the NFL’s most-played rivalry.

Chicago has won three of its past four meetings with the Packers, who had beaten the Bears 11 straight times from 2019-24. The Bears beat the Packers 22-16 in overtime last December after scoring 10 points in the final two minutes of regulation and then erased a 21-3 halftime deficit to beat them again 31-27 in the NFC wild-card playoffs.

The quarterback who led both those comebacks might not be playing Sunday when the Bears (3-1) meet the Packers (2-2) again at Lambeau Field.

Caleb Williams has missed Chicago’s past two games with a hamstring injury, but he returned to practice on a limited basis Friday and was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Tyson Bagent would start if Williams isn’t available.

“To say this is just like any game just wouldn’t be true,” Bagent said. “This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.”

Ben Johnson’s arrival as the Bears coach last season has spiced up this series.

Johnson’s locker room speech following the Bears’ playoff win over Green Bay gained lots of traction on social media as video showed him shouting an expletive before adding “the Packers.”

Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin is new to this rivalry, yet he already understands the harsh feelings between these teams.

“It’s a lot of bad blood -- a lot of bad blood,” said Franklin, who came to Green Bay this year after spending eight seasons in Indianapolis. “A lot of genuine dislike, which is a little different than nowadays. Nowadays, most rivalries are just on social media, and in the offseason, you’re hanging out. I don’t think nobody wants to hang out with the Bears in the offseason.”

While Chicago has overcome Williams’ injury to start fast, the Packers are having a tougher time dealing with the absences of key players.

Green Bay has lost linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (Achilles tendon), offensive tackle Zach Bako-Bewele (knee) and wide receiver Jayden Reed (neck) to season-ending injuries.

All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons hasn’t played yet this season as he recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Green Bay’s running game has struggled without Josh Jacobs, who is on the commissioner’s exempt list after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend.

Need to know

Chicago (3-1) at Green Bay (2-2)

TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox.

Latest odds: Bears by 1 1/2

Last week: Bears beat the New York Jets 23-12 at home; Packers won 17-14 at Tampa Bay.

Last meeting: Bears beat the Packers 31-27 in an NFC wild-card playoff game on Jan. 10 at Chicago.

Series record: Packers lead 109-98-6