The Chicago Bears have the chance to move to 8-3 on the season and hold their lead in the NFC North. But a boogeyman potentially looms for them.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is questionable to play, potentially making his return to Soldier Field. He has the chance to put a small dent in the Bears’ playoff hopes as well.
With playoff probabilities increasing with another win, a win over Rodgers would carry even more value for the Bears.
Rodgers’ history with the Green Bay Packers, especially his last-second game-altering plays that have stolen multiple victories away from Chicago over the past 15 years, allows the team to exercise their demons in potentially the last contest they will play against the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
The Bears can solve a lot of issues with a win over Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers has started 29 games against the Chicago Bears, compiling a 24-5 record. All of those 24 wins have been a bad memory for Chicago fans. Rodgers has led blowout wins as well as close, heart-breaking wins.
There was even the lone playoff meeting between the two franchises, which Rodgers led Green Bay to a win.
It is because of this domination that led to the Packers’ then All-Pro quarterback to scream the famous ” I still own you” line to the Chicago crowd after scoring a late-game touchdown during the two teams’ Week 6 matchup during the 2021 season.
Unfortunately for the Bears, the team has yet to enact revenge for the infamous comment, as Rodgers and the Packers won the last three matchups . With Aaron Rodgers likely playing his final season, Sunday’s game could be the final time he plays in Chicago.
It will also mark the final time he will play the Bears’ all together, as unless the famed signal-caller plays for an NFC team next year, the Bears and Steelers won’t for sure play each other again until the 2029 season.
The wait and see game
Despite the anticipation of squaring off against Rodgers one last time on Sunday, the Bears must wait to find out if the quarterback will be healthy enough to play on Sunday, after suffering a small fracture in non-throwing hand this past week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Although it would likely increase Chicago’s chance of winning on Sunday if Mason Rudolph has to start instead of Aaron Rodgers, it would rob the franchise of getting the revenge the fanbase significantly deserves. A win against a backup quarterback instead of the future Hall of Famer would be lackluster one as the fanbase that has been put through so much heartbreak, including being eliminated from making the playoffs in 2013 due to last-second miracle touchdown throw, would be robbed of a justified redemption victory to send their hated rival off one last time.
Rodgers potentially missing Sunday’s game would also rob Bears’ fans of feeling redeemed. Through the 30 years that Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers started a majority of games for the Green Bay Packers, Chicago started over 20 different signal-callers during that time.
That led to the long-standing negative perception regarding signal-callers and the franchise. If Caleb Williams is able to play a strong game and win, it would help to rewrite a lot of the negativity.
A win over a Pittsburgh team without Aaron Rodgers would also further drive the growing negative narrative that the Bears current success is due to luck rather than skill. A win would mark the second time in the team’s last four wins that they would have beaten a backup signal-caller instead of having to play against an All-Pro level quarterback.</p>
Beating a Steelers team, with Rodgers starting and that is in playoff contention, by more than seven points would help significantly to prove that the Bears are winning because of skill and good coaching from Ben Johnson rather than due to just luck and favorable situations.
Aaron Rodgers losing to the Bears could be a very good omen
The Bears deserve to have one final sendoff victory against Rodgers, a quarterback that has plagued the franchise. It would also be a good omen.
Chicago has only made the NFC playoffs three times in the last 20 years, and in two of those seasons, the team recorded wins over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The last memorable time came in Week 15 of the 2018 season, as the Bears won at home over the Packers to win the NFC North Division title.
In 2010, the Bears not only played and defeated Rodgers, but also played Brett Favre twice during his time with the Vikings.
They swept Minnesota in that season. The Week 15 game in Minnesota is memorable because Chicago not only cliched the division on Monday Night Football, but it was also the last time Favre played a down in the NFL.
It was unfortunate that the legendary quarterback was knocked out of the game due to a concussion.
Many Bears’ fans were content that the signal-caller who then had tormented the franchise for nearly 20 years, had his career end against the same team he had tormented.
Could Sunday be a memorable day for Chicago Bears?
Sunday could be a memorable day in terms of if they can beat Rodgers. It could potentially propel them into the playoffs as well.
If Johnson and Williams are a successful head coach and quarterback that results in Chicago making the playoffs consistently over the next several years, a win over Rodgers will be looked at as the moment fortune began to change for the team.
Unfortunately, without the star signal-caller playing for Pittsburgh, the aura of a defining win is lost if a victory comes against Rudolph.
Playing Aaron Rodgers one last time, will be a fitting end for a tedious and disappointing time endured by the Bears’ franchise.
But that’s if they get a win.
A victory would put Chicago one win away from securing their first winning season in over seven seasons. It would also get them closer to their first playoff appearance in five years. A victory over Rodgers instead of Rudolph contains the same. But a victory over the legendary veteran carries immense value to the Bears’ transforming culture and their dedicated fan base.
Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson sends warning to Caleb Williams about turnovers
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