Packers vs. Bears: Two X-Factors

Looking beyond the obvious names such as Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers will need strong performances from these two players on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – You know the main characters for the Green Bay Packers, who are led by Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. Looking beyond the obvious, these two players – one on each side of the ball – will have a key role in Sunday night’s game against the Chicago Bears.

Offense: LT Yosh Nijman

Nijman has the toughest matchup of the night, a clash against Chicago outside linebacker Robert Quinn.

The Bears lead the NFL with a sack rate of 9.27 percent. Obviously, with Khalil Mack on injured reserve, they’ve lost a lot of the sting from their pass rush. But it’s Quinn who has been the team’s most productive pass rusher. He leads the team with 12 sacks – fourth-most in the NFL – 14 quarterback hits (official count) and 33 pressures (Pro Football Focus).

Quinn, the NFC’s reigning Defensive Player of the Month, lines up almost exclusively at right outside linebacker. According to PFF, 99.2 percent of his pass-rushing snaps have come from the right side and against the left tackle.

With David Bakhtiari out with last year’s knee injury and Elgton Jenkins out with this year’s knee injury, that puts the pressure on Yosh Nijman to limit the pressure applied by Quinn.

“I think Robert’s always been at a really high level going back to even prior to our time together in L.A.,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I just think the one thing that really shows up on the tape is just the effort which he displays on every snap. He’s relentless and I think the other guys feed off of that. It’s a really good scheme and he’s surrounded by some other really good players. I think he’s made the most of his 1-on-1 opportunities and, like I said, he just has a motor that doesn’t stop.

With Bakhtiari out and Jenkins kept in bubble wrap for the preseason, Nijman took most of the snaps at left tackle and earned his spot on the roster. He replaced Jenkins against San Francisco, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in Games 3-5 and returned to the lineup to face the Rams before the bye. All things considered, he’s been excellent. Of 75 offensive tackles with 175 pass-protecting snaps, Nijman ranks 41st in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per snap. He’s allowed two sacks in four-plus games – both at Cincinnati – and did more than hold his own vs. the Rams’ Hall of Fame-bound Von Miller.

“You never know exactly what’s going to happen when you put guys in there that haven’t had a lot of experience and are going against premier rushers and premier defensive line,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said at the bye. “I’ll tell you, Yosh has really stepped it up. He’s doing a good job.”

Defense: LB Krys Barnes

There will be two keys for Green Bay’s defense on Sunday. First, it will be up to outside linebackers Rashan Gary and Preston Smith to keep quarterback Justin Fields in the pocket. The second will be keeping third-year running back David Montgomery under wraps.

Montgomery, whose four-game absence earlier this season included Round 1 vs. Green Bay, is one of the NFL’s underrated runners. Against Arizona last week, Montgomery carried 21 times for 90 yards and added eight receptions for 51 yards. That gave him a season-high 141 yards from scrimmage. That represented 42.9 percent of the Bears’ total output.

Montgomery had two big games against the Packers last year. In the game at Lambeau Field, he carried 11 times for 103 yards, including a 57-yard run to set up Chicago’s opening score. In the rematch at Soldier Field, he set career highs with nine receptions and 63 yards.

“He is a complete back,” LaFleur said. “He does it out of the backfield as a receiver; obviously, he’s a very talented runner. He’s relentless. I think he is an upper-echelon back in this league, so they’ll definitely get a big boost from getting him back in this game.”

In the first matchup of this season, Khalil Herbert carried 19 times for 97 yards (5.1 average) and one touchdown, continually finding cutback lanes. Montgomery is more of a downhill, physical runner. Barnes and star inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell must keep eyes on the athletic Fields while being ready to handle Montgomery’s physicality.

“He’s a key piece for them,” Barnes said. “They missed him for the beginning portion of the season when we first played them. Now that he’s back, you can tell that he’s ready to go. He’s feeling good. He’s feeling healthy. Watching the film, he’s a very good back. It’s a good one-two punch they have with him and [Herbert]. He’s an elite player. We’ll take our game plan, do what we do, fly around, but we definitely have our eyes on him.”