How the Packers can exploit the Bears’ weaknesses

On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers host a rematch of their Week 1 victory over the Chicago Bears. Robert Zeglinski of Windy City Gridiron kindly volunteered to answer our questions about the Bears and provide some insight into their strengths and weaknesses.

APC: If tasked with building a game plan, how would you attack the Bears on offense? On defense?

The best way to stymie the Bears’ offense is to make Trubisky, a quarterback, play quarterback. Have an athletic linebacker spy him, so he can’t beat you with his legs, the only reliable part of his game to this stage of his career. Then sit back in a zone defense where he has to be patient and decisive with his throws. This plan of attack is the Kryptonite to Trubisky’s mediocre adaptation of Super-Man. As the adage goes: Play man and make the receivers beat you. Play zone and make the quarterback beat you. Bring out the real Trubisky, the anxious version afraid to pull the trigger against a swarm of defenders sitting back, and you’ll win.

If you’re going to score on the Bears’ defense, you have to get them moving horizontally. You have to be deft in uses of misdirection and play action. And, crucially, there must be two players covering Khalil Mack at all times. (Although this strategy might prove difficult with the interior pass rushing presence of Akiem Hicks back in the saddle.) The strength of the unit is the front seven with Mack, Akiem Hicks, and Eddie Goldman manning an impressive line. Don’t let them bunch together and attack the A-Gap. Don’t try and run a simple power offense right at the core of their identity. Spread them out, make them run thin, and release the ball quickly when passing. Chances are a shot past an occasionally vulnerable secondary will reveal itself and suffice.

We’d like to thank Robert. Be sure to check out the rest of our Q&A session with Windy over the course of the week as well as our Q&A session over there. As always, keep your internet machines tuned to Acme Packing Company this Sunday for our comprehensive game-day coverage of Bears versus Packers.