Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Steve Megargee The Associated Press
The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are set to face each other again at Lambeau Field, with the Bears aiming to prove they have overtaken their rivals after winning two key matchups last season. The Bears (3-1) will play without quarterback Caleb Williams due to a hamstring injury, while Tyson Bagent is expected to start in his place. Meanwhile, the Packers (2-2), dealing with several injuries including those of All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and running back Josh Jacobs, hope to improve their record by avenging their losses from last year. Both teams are approaching this game with significant rivalry history and current tensions between them.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
After beating the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North title and knocking them out of the playoffs last season, the Chicago Bears have one more opportunity to show definitively that a new chapter has started in the NFL’s most-played rivalry.
asserted
chapter → beat → rivalry
Chicago has won three of its past four meetings with the Packers, who had beaten the Bears 11 straight times from 2019-24.
asserted
who → win → 2019
The Bears beat the Packers 22-16 in overtime last December after scoring 10 points in the final two minutes of regulation and then erased a 21-3 halftime deficit to beat them again 31-27 in the NFC wild-card playoffs.
asserted
Bears → beat → playoffs
The quarterback who led both those comebacks won’t be playing Sunday when the Bears (3-1) meet the Packers (2-2) again at Lambeau Field.
asserted
Bears → lead → Field
Tyson Bagent is expected to start in place of Caleb Williams, who has missed Chicago’s past two games with a hamstring injury.
asserted
who → expect → injury
“To say this is just like any game just wouldn’t be true,” Bagent said.
asserted
Bagent → say → game
Ben Johnson’s arrival as the Bears coach last season has spiced up this series.
Johnson’s locker room speech following the Bears’ playoff win over Green Bay gained lots of traction on social media as video showed him shouting an expletive before adding “the Packers.”
Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin is new to this rivalry, yet he already understands the harsh feelings between these teams.
asserted
he → spice → teams
“It’s a lot of bad blood — a lot of bad blood,” said Franklin, who came to Green Bay this year after spending eight seasons in Indianapolis.
asserted
who → ’ → Indianapolis
Nowadays, most rivalries are just on social media, and in the offseason, you’re hanging out.
asserted
you → hang → offseason
I don’t think nobody wants to hang out with the Bears in the offseason.”
asserted
nobody → think → offseason
While Chicago has overcome Williams’ injury to start fast, the Packers are having a tougher time dealing with the absences of key players.
asserted
Packers → overcome → players
Green Bay has lost linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (Achilles tendon), offensive tackle Zach Bako-Bewele (knee) and wide receiver Jayden Reed (neck) to season-ending injuries.
asserted
Bay → lose → injuries
All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons hasn’t played yet this season as he recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
asserted
he → play → ligament
Green Bay’s running game has struggled without Josh Jacobs, who is on the commissioner’s exempt list after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend.
uncertain
who → struggle → girlfriend
Green Bay could get over .500 for the first time this season by avenging those two losses to the Bears and perhaps silencing Johnson for the time being.
uncertain
Bay → get → time
“I mean, he’s dissing us,” Packers offensive tackle Jordan Morgan said.
asserted
Morgan → mean → us
“He’s dissing the Packers.
asserted
He → diss → Packers
A lot of people in here, I’m pretty sure, take that to heart.
asserted
I → ’m → heart
And we’ve got a chance to prove to everybody on Sunday that we’re the best team.
asserted
we → get → Sunday
Bears beat the New York Jets 23-12 at home; Packers won 17-14 at Tampa Bay.
asserted
Packers → beat → Bay
Last meeting: Bears beat the Packers 31-27 in an NFC wild-card playoff game on Jan. 10 at Chicago.
asserted
Bears → beat → Chicago
Series record: Packers lead 109-98-6
Matchup to watch
Bears running game vs. Packers run defense:
asserted
Packers → lead → defense
Chicago has an NFL-leading 196.3 yards rushing per game with Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift splitting carries.
asserted
Monangai → have → carries
Monangai (thumb/toe) didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday.
asserted
Monangai → practice → ?
Swift (hip/knee) didn’t practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday.
asserted
Swift → practice → ?
Green Bay has allowed 139.3 yards rushing per game to rank 28th in the NFL in run defense, and opponents have run wild in the Packers’ past two home games.
asserted
opponents → allow → games
Derrick Henry rushed for 216 yards — the most ever by a visiting player at Lambeau Field — when Green Bay lost 41-24 to Baltimore in its home finale last season.
asserted
Bay → rush → finale
Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson rushed for 194 yards as the Falcons beat Green Bay 35-14 in the Packers’ home opener this season.
asserted
Falcons → rush → opener
Stats and stuff
— The Bears lead the NFL in total yards per game (429.0) and time of possession (36:36).
— Bears DB Dillon Thieneman has started his rookie season by leading the team in tackles in each of his first four games.
asserted
Thieneman → lead → games
— In its previous game, Chicago’s defense didn’t allow the Jets to convert any of their seven third down situations.
asserted
Jets → allow → situations
— The Bears have an NFL-leading 14 drives of at least 10 plays.
asserted
Bears → have → plays
— The Bears have an NFL-best turnover margin of plus-23 since Johnson’s arrival in 2025.
asserted
Bears → have → 2025
— Packers QB Jordan Love has 13 touchdown passes and two interceptions in seven games against the Bears, including last season’s playoff loss.
asserted
Love → have → loss
— In Green Bay’s victory at Tampa Bay, S Evan Williams became the first Packer to have at least seven tackles, multiple passes defended, a sack and an interception in a game since Morgan Burnett did it against Carolina in 2011.
asserted
Burnett → become → 2011
— Green Bay has won its past eight October games.
asserted
Bay → win → games
— The Packers have an NFL-high 86 penalty yards per game.
asserted
Packers → have → game
AP freelance reporter Gene Chamberlain contributed to this report.
asserted
Chamberlain → contribute → report
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