Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Sunday, November 16th, 2008
Noon CST, FOX
This is an open thread for the game.
Bears: QB Caleb Hanie (3rd), CB Marcus Hamilton, RB Kevin Jones, T Fred Miller, DT Matt Toeaina, WR Earl Bennett, NT Anthony Adams, DE Ervin Baldwin.
Analysis: RB Adrian Peterson will back up RB Matt Forte with Jones inactive. WR Brandon Lloyd is active and will see his first action in several weeks.
Packers: QB Brian Brohm (3rd), CB Pat Lee , RB DeShawn Wynn, LB Nick Barnett, T Breno Giacomini, G Allen Barbre, WR Ruvell Martin, DE Jeremy Thompson.
Analysis: QB Aaron Rodgers and CB Charles Woodson are active and will start, as expected. The absence of Barnett is good news for the value of Bears RB Matt Forte this week.
RB Adrian Peterson, the Chicago one, had a 100 yard game last season against the Packers, so he'll get a chance to run up some yards against them instead of RB Kevin Jones. It's hard to imagine WR Brandon Lloyd will make much of a difference because Lloyd's been awful during his career and the Packers' secondary has been outstanding this season, but Lloyd was having a very good 2008 season before he was hurt.
The Packers are going with only two RBs again this week since Wynn is inactive. Thompson has a groin injury and is out for the game, but he was awful last week at Minnesota (although he probably was awful because he was hurt). It's not clear exactly who is going to replace Barnett in the middle, but all signs point to LB A.J. Hawk with LB Brandon Chillar stepping into Hawk's outside linebacker spot, but the Packers have been intentionally vague about how their defense will play line up on Sunday. WR Ruvell Martin is inactive so don't expect to see any five WR sets.