USA Today
The Real Mismatch Is Simply Aaron Rodgers
There are mismatches the Bears face every time they play the Green Bay Packers and one of them is always against wide receiver Davante Adams.
He's a mismatch for almost every NFL team.
However, the biggest mismatch isn't pitting an individual Packers player against someone in the Bears' lineup. Instead, it's pitting the full Bears defense against Aaron Rodgers.
This really says something about Rodgers considering we're talking about one of the league's better defenses over the last four seasons, and even in days gone by when Rodgers wasn't being an offseason malcontent and was starting against some of Lovie Smiths great defenses.
"He's one of the few quarterbacks that truly has no flaws to his game," Bears safety Tashaun Gipson said. "I think that he can make every throw. He's mobile enough to get out of the pocket. He's smart; he doesn't turn the ball over. You're almost sort of a fan when you watch him on tape."
Even when Bears pass rush pressure forces the rare Rodgers error, he often seems to get away with it.
Last year Trevis Gipson nearly had Rodgers for a sack and he threw an ill-advised pass that Eddie Jackson could easily have turned into a game-changing pick-6, but he couldn't hang on to it. There was the 2018 game when Kyle Fuller had an interception for a certain pick-6 to lock up what would have been a Bears win but he dropped it. Rodgers rallied the Packers then to a 24-23 win.
"The biggest thing with him is those small errors," Tashaun Gipson said. "I think last year when we played him in January, we had an opportunity for an interception. When you get those opportunities, because they're few and far between, you might get one a game, which is rare for a quarterback (because he) doesn't make that many mistakes. So when you get one you've got to capitalize on it."
Rodgers has a somewhat modest career average against the Bears defense of 241 yards on 21 of 32, but it's what he does with those numbers that counts. He averages 2.2 touchdown throws per game against the Bears.
More importantly, he always seems to find ways to beat them. The 21-5 Packers record in games when Rodgers starts against the Bears says it all.
Whether it's a 20-point comeback in 2018 or finding Randall Cobb all alone after Chris Conte blew the pass coverage, Rodgers rarely seems to miss his opportunity to stick it to the Bears.
He can't do it alone, however.
Here are the matchups the Packers do have working heavily to their advantage when they face Rodgers again at Soldier Field.
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson vs. Packers WR Davante Adams
It's possible this matchup will take place all over the field rather than when Adams lines up on the left side of the offense. That's because the Bears have enough faith in Johnson's improvement to let him do this. His play has ascended to a different level in his second year with six pass defenses already and only 44% completions allowed when he's targeted, according to Sportradar. But Johnson's effectiveness is at executing the scheme. They put Johnson on Odell Beckham Jr. all over the field in Cleveland and it didn't work out great for the Bears. That's because it takes away from their scheme to adjust in this manner and the scheme is part of the effectiveness of this eighth-ranked Bears defense. It seems likely they'll do this again, anyway, against Adams and this is a mistake because he is capable of torching just about any defensive back one on one with possibly the exception of Jalen Ramsey. Adams was targeted 16 times by Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay's last game. That wasn't even a season high. His current rate plots a path for 142 catches this season, which is pretty ridiculous. Until someone stops it, the Bears can figure Rodgers will keep throwing Adams' way. He does average only 4.8 receptions per game against the Bears, however.
Bears CB Duke Shelley vs. Packers WR Randall Cobb
Cobb is older now than when he used to torch the Bears in his first stint with Green Bay, but things probably won't change much. Back then the Bears could count the slot cornerback position as a great strength with Bryce Callahan playing there and they had a chance to win the battle. While the undersized (5-9, 176 pounds) Shelley has improved his coverage in the last two games, defending the slot against Rodgers and Cobb represents an entirely different level. Rodgers was picking on Buster Skrine last year by setting up mismatches in the slot, and at least Skrine had plenty of experience working on his side. Shelley is in his ninth game playing the position with starters. One was against Rodgers. While his passer rating against has declined, it's still a bit lofty at 99.8. Whether it's Cobb or they move a bigger receiver into the slot seeking a mismatch, Rodgers is sure to target the less experienced Bears nickel cornerback.
Bears RT Elijah Wilkinson vs. Packers DE Preston Smith
This would be a mismatch even if the Bears had injured Germain Ifedi available to block Smith. So far Smith has two sacks and eight pressures. He has 13 tackles. Za'Darius Smith has been the disaster waiting to happen for the Bears offensive line over the last two seasons but Preston Smith can do the same type of thing and will have an opportunity going against yet another Bears backup tackle. The original idea was for Teven Jenkins and Ifedi to play the tackles, and both are on injured reserve. Promising rookie Larry Borom is on IR, as well. Wilkinson gets caught up in some of the same problems Ifedi has at times, with not staying square to pass rushers, but he has 26 games of starting experience with Denver to his credit and now makes his first Bears start. And he is more comfortable on the right side at tackle than the left side.
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