Bear Digest

The problem Bears face against Packers defense without Micah Parsons

There's no doubt Micah Parsons was the key to what the Packers did on defense this season but the Bears remember how it was facing Green Bay without him.
Gene Chamberlain|
Micah Parsons (1) might have been a big Bears concern against Green Bay on Dec. 7 but the Packers have other pass rushers now that their top one is gone.
Micah Parsons (1) might have been a big Bears concern against Green Bay on Dec. 7 but the Packers have other pass rushers now that their top one is gone. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It would be easy for the Bears to get excited about facing the Green Bay Packers Sunday without Micah Parsons, except for one thing.

Green Bay didn't have much of a problem winning 11 out of 12 games against the Bears without Parsons prior to beating them 28-21 at Lambeau Field on Dec. 7.

The Packers and coordinator Jeff Hafley still have an excellent defense without Parsons, who is done for the year with an ACL tear.

"I mean, we look at everything and that’s where being in the division last year certainly helps because you’ve seen all that tape from Hafley’s defense a year ago and went against him a couple times last year," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "Yeah, there’s elements of that that you take into account but at this point in the season it’s a really good football team and a really good defense.

"And I know you kind of lock in one player because he does garner a lot of your attention when you go against that defense and yet they have some high caliber players throughout on the defensive line, linebacking corps and on the back end. So just because one player goes down doesn’t mean this is going to change a whole lot for them."

The Packers did seem a bit stunned from losing their big ticket acquisition against Denver, and the defense caved in during the second half.

They've played enough against the Bears and a Ben Johnson offense without Parsons to know what to expect.

"They play relentless football," Johnson said. "They pursue. They have a ton of team speed. The linebackers are thumpers. You know, if you ask your backs to pick them up in protection one too many times then they’re going to find a way to get to your quarterback.

"I mean, they do a great job of that. So throughout we’ve got a tall task at hand. I know everybody wants to make it about the one particular player but this is a very good defense regardless of who is on the field for them."

Green Bay still has Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare on the edge and linebackers capable of blitzing. Enagbare had a key sack against the Bears last game and Gary has four sacks and seven QB hits against the Bears. Gary has 7 1/2 sacks this season, but no other active Packers have more than two sacks.

Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt had four sacks but like Parsons, he's out for the season.

Williams got to face Green Bay last year twice without Parsons, and came away with one victory.

" I think it's gonna be a fun challenge for us," Williams said. "I think it's something that we'll have to go into the game. Obviously, they have their defense and how they run and their system, things like that.

"You can't forget they have other good pass rushers other than Parsons. But I think we'll go into the week and we'll prepare. We'll prepare how we normally prepare and have our stuff. And then when you get into a game, you obviously have to adjust for whatever they do. And so that's the fun part about playing quarterback. That's the fun part about playing football is that you get into these games and you have an idea of maybe what they might do or how they might play. And then you get into the game and then you just have to adjust."

The big adjustment they need to make is in scoring more points than the Packers.

Until they actually do it at Soldier Field, where they've lost six straight to Green Bay, the Bears' ability to emerge with the upper hand in a crucial game within this series will be in doubt—Micah Parsons or no Micah Parsons.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.