Even the bumbling Bears’ offense has been better than the Packers’
By GERY WOELFEL
With the Packers set to play the Bears Sunday in the Windy City, let’s compare the teams’ offenses.
The Bears quarterback is Justin Fields and the Packers is Aaron Rodgers. Edge, by a wide margin, goes to Rodgers.
The Bears best running back is Khalil Herbert and the Packers is Aaron Jones. Edge, by a wide margin, goes to Jones.
The Packers offensive line versus the Bears offensive line. Edge goes to the Packers.
The Packers receiving corps vs. the Bears receiving corps. Let’s call it a draw.
Collectively, coach Matt LaFleur’s Packers clearly possess a more talented offense. But the statistics don’t support it. At least one important one doesn’t, and that’s average points per game.
Incredibly, the Bears, whose offensive personnel doesn’t come close to matching the Packers, have averaged more points per game than the Packers. The Bears are averaging 20.9 points and rank 18th in the NFL in that category. The Packers are averaging 19.6 points per game and rank 23d in the league.
Who would have ever thought that would occur this season?
The Packers’ impotent offense is the primary reason for Green Bay’s monumentally disappointing season and why, with a 4-8 record, their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.
For the bulk of the season, the Packers’ offense has been offensive. In their first 11 games, they scored 17 or fewer points on six occasions. After those 11 games, the Packers were 4-7 and, for all intents and purposes, already out of the playoff picture.
Because of their ineptness on offense, the Packers’ train wreck of a season shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, playoff-caliber teams light up scoreboards.
Here are the league’s top four statistically offensive teams:
- Kanas City – 430 yards per game.
- Buffalo – 410.9 ypg.
- Miami – 386.7 ypg.
- Philadelphia – 382.4 ypg.
Now, here are the records of those four teams:
Kansas City is 9-2.
Buffalo is 9-3
Miami is 8-3
Philadelphia is 10-1.
Those numbers should make it crystal clear that it’s the Packers’ offense, and not their defense, that has made this a season not-to-remember.
Prediction: Packers 27, Bears 20.
