Inbox: He's right in the middle of everything

[Cheesehead]

Eddie from La Crosse, WI


I would be just fine with packers.com not having Inbox sessions on holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially. The writers and staff deserve a few more days away from us knuckleheads. We're like the manners-deficient side of the family that comes over unannounced.


Your words, not mine. Kidding aside, the workweek is still pretty normal for us except for slipping out a few hours early on Thursday. Got home in time for the Dallas game and a wonderful meal.


Robin from Ashburn, VA


Who is the biggest threat from the Bears' defense?


If he plays, I think it's Akiem Hicks, and that's no disrespect to Khalil Mack. But Hicks is a beast, and he's is right in the middle of everything, run and pass.


Steve from Colorado Springs, CO


Nagy hasn't named the starting QB yet for Sunday's game, but according the "insiders," it will be Trubisky. Does going from Trubisky to Foles to Trubisky create an advantage for us, because of the change in styles from the two QBs? How do you develop some consistency with that kind of change?


It's still the same offense. Not much changes, except Trubisky's scrambling ability forces a defense to be aware of him running for first downs. I think a vastly overlooked aspect to the Bears' 2018 division title was Trubisky's running ability. He rushed for 421 yards that season. Injuries since then, due in part to his scrambling, took that away. His rushing yards were more than cut in half (193) in 2019.


Ben from Menomonee Falls, WI


The Bears' offense has been pretty meh this year, which their QB issues haven't helped. Who on their offense do the Packers need to watch out for?


Wes hit the nail on the head with Montgomery, now that he's cleared. As I said, I think the Bears will have a fierce commitment to running the ball Sunday night. But Allen Robinson is a darn good receiver, and the Bears will look for opportunities to get him one-on-one.


Graydon from Menomonie, WI


What is your favorite Packers-Bears rivalry memory? Mine was January 2011. First, on Jan. 2, Packers beat Bears 10-3 on the last weekend of the regular season to make the playoffs as the sixth seed. Then the Packers and Bears met in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 23 with the Packers winning 21-14.


Can't ignore that. As I've mentioned before, mine was the first NFL game I ever attended, Packers-Bears at Soldier Field on Dec. 9, 1984, during which Walter Payton took some snaps at QB (before anyone called it "wildcat") and Rich Campbell hit Phil Epps for a long TD pass in the final minute to pull the upset. As a reporter, I have two, one from this job and one from my newspaper days. The '13 finale in Chicago, fourth-and-8 from the 48, was unforgettable to witness in person. But early in my Press-Gazette tenure, I also covered the '99 game at Lambeau Field, six days after Payton had died, and I happened to be on the sideline for the final snap when Chicago's Bryan Robinson blocked Ryan Longwell's field goal and the Bears won, 14-13. I was assigned to go to the Bears' locker room to get comments, and Robinson told reporters it was the "hand of Walter" that blocked the kick. I know that was a frustrating one for Packers fans, but when you step back and look at it from afar, that was quite a moment and I saw it right up close.


John from Elgin, IL


What was the last season that the Bears swept the Packers?


2007, when Green Bay went 13-3.


Griffin from Belmont, NC


Brees has kept his career going with dinks and dunks to Kamara with a few longer throws to Thomas sprinkled in. That scheme keeps the chains moving and the Saints a top NFC team. Many would agree that Aaron Rodgers has better arm talent at this stage of his career, Aaron Jones is right there with Kamara, and Davante Adams is argued as one of the best. Are the Packers missing personnel to emulate that success?


I'm not sure what you're asking. The Saints are 12th in the league in total offense, the Packers are seventh. The Saints are fifth in total points, the Packers third. The head-to-head game went Green Bay's way, and New Orleans is currently one game up overall with six to play. The difference in the offenses is the running game (Saints eighth, Packers 14th) and the bigger difference in the teams is the defenses. New Orleans is up to third in the league in yards and eighth in points and is playing defense, in my opinion, as well if not better than anyone in the NFC right now.


Ryan from Appleton, WI


NFC seems wide open. With that said, which matchup do the Packers hope to avoid in the playoffs?


See above, but it's still too early to tell. A lot can change over the next six games for all the contenders.