Bear Digest

Bears' likely playoff opponent makes huge addition to defense

The Bears will face a different Packers defense if they meet in the Wild Card round.
Pete Martuneac|
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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When some NFL players hit the open market, they don't remain available for long. Just hours after the Dallas Cowboys released Trevon Diggs, the Green Bay Packers swooped in and claimed the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback off waivers. With this move, Diggs will rejoin his former Cowboys teammate, Micah Parsons, in Green Bay as they gear up for a playoff run.

This is a reasonable move for the Packers to make. They've been hit by a string of major injuries on defense, including Micah Parsons' season-ending ACL injury, and now they've lost their best defensive back. Nate Hobbs is likely done for the season after suffering a knee injury in Week 17. If they're to make any noise at all in the playoffs, they need reinforcements.

I would caution Packers fans, however, to keep their expectations tempered. Diggs is an exciting name and is still highly regarded for his incredible 11-interception season in 2021, but he has since failed to recapture that magic. He continues to get burned in coverage more often than a top cornerback should, and he's not pulling in enough interceptions to make up the difference.

Additionally, Diggs has been hampered by injuries of his own. So even with this roster move, the Packers' durability problem isn't going away.

Trevon Digg
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Bears' offense shouldn't feel at all intimidated by new-look Packers

Locked in as the No. 7 seed, the Packers are almost certain to face the red-hot Chicago Bears once the playoffs begin. The Eagles have just gifted the No. 2 seed to the Bears with their decision to rest their starters in Week 18, while Bears' head coach Ben Johnson confirmed they will be playing to win against his former team.

The Bears, for the first time in decades, have a championship-caliber offense that just wowed the NFL world in a shootout loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Even though the Packers held them nearly without a touchdown just two weeks ago, this is clearly a team finding its footing and is a threat to drop 30 points or more on any given Sunday.

Even with the addition of Diggs, Chicago should be able to move the ball almost at will against Green Bay. Caleb Williams is improving with each passing week, and he already proved he can beat Green Bay in a playoff atmosphere. Should they meet in the Wild Card round, it will be at Soldier Field in front of a raucous crowd of Bears fans.

There's not a cornerback anywhere in the league who could move the needle in a big way for the Packers. A storm is coming for them in the playoffs, and they don't appear equipped to weather it.

Caleb William
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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