The Green Bay Packers will take on longtime rival the Chicago Bears in the home opener at Lambeau Field.
- It is the second straight year the home opener is in prime time and the 17th consecutive regular season that the Packers and Bears have squared off in a prime-time game.
- Sunday will mark Game No. 205 in the NFL's oldest rivalry. The Packers hold a 103-95-6 edge in the series, which includes two playoff games (1-1).
- Green Bay has won 12 of the last 14 meetings against the Bears at Lambeau Field, including a 45-30 victory last season.
- The Packers have outscored Chicago, 406-215, in the last 14 home games, scoring 20-plus points in 12 of those contests.
- It is the third straight season and the 11th time in the last 12 years that the Packers-Bears game at Lambeau Field will be played in prime time.
- It is the Bears' first visit to Lambeau Field in September since 2018.
- The Packers have scored 40-plus points in each of the last two meetings against the Bears at Lambeau Field, their only time doing so vs. Chicago at home in series history.
- The Packers have won 20 of the last 23 regular-season meetings against the Bears and have outscored Chicago, 637-405, in those contests. In those 23 meetings, the Packers have a plus-26 turnover differential (19 giveaways, 45 takeaways).
- Green Bay's current winning streak of six games against Chicago is the fourth longest by the Packers in series history (10 straight from 1994-98, seven-game streaks in 1928-30 and 2000-03).
- In six games against the Bears under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers have turned the ball over one time (plus-12 turnover differential with 13 takeaways). It is the fewest giveaways ever for Green Bay over a three-season span against an NFC North opponent (since 2002).
- It is the fifth consecutive year that Green Bay will face a division opponent at home in Week 2.
WITH THE CALL
The game will air across the country on NBC. Play-by-play man Mike Tirico joins analyst Cris Collinsworth with Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines.
- Westwood One Sports will be broadcasting on radio to a national audience with Ryan Radtke (play-by-play) and Mike Golic (analyst) on the call and Scott Graham hosting pregame and halftime shows.
- All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 49 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and South Dakota. This year, the Packers transitioned to a new flagship station in Milwaukee, iHeartRadio Milwaukee's 97.3 The Game WRNW. For a full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 28th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 24th season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
Packers vs Bears:
- Regular season, all-time: 102-94-6
- All-time, postseason: 1-1
- All-time, at home (regular season): 51-42-4
- Streaks: Green Bay has won the last six matchups.
- Last meeting, regular season: Dec. 12, 2021, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 45-30
COACHES CAPSULES
- Matt LaFleur: 41-14-0, .780; (2-3 postseason); 4th NFL season
- Matt Eberflus: 1-0-0, 1.000; (0-0 postseason); 1st NFL season
- Head to Head: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Eberflus
- vs. Opponent: LaFleur 6-0 vs. Bears; Eberflus 0-0 vs. Packers
MATT LaFLEUR…In his fourth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.
- In his 14th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (L.A. Rams, 2017; Tennessee, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington, 2010-13; Atlanta, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston, 2008-09).
- In his first three seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. With a 13-4 record in 2021, he led the Packers to a third straight NFC North crown while also earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season.
- Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed George Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias Sports Bureau). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
- Has guided the Packers to a 22-2 record (.917) in the regular season at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL from 2019-21 and the best home winning percentage by a Packers head coach in his first three seasons. His 22 wins at home are also the most in NFL history by a coach in his first three seasons.
- In 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).
MATT EBERFLUS…In his first season as the Bears' 17th head coach.
- Comes to Chicago with 30 years of coaching experience, including 13 in the NFL, and completed his fourth season as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.
- Under him, the Colts were the only NFL defensive unit to be ranked in the top 10 in scoring, run defense and takeaways in each of the past two seasons. The Colts finished in the top 10 in the NFL in run defense and takeaways in all four of his years, top 10 in scoring defense in three of the four and were the least-penalized defense in the league in 2019 and 2021.
- After inheriting a Colts defense that finished 30th in the NFL in both scoring and total yards in 2017, he helped the unit improve to 10th in scoring and 11th in yards in his first year in 2018. After finishing with a 4-12 record in 2017, the Colts rebounded to earn a Wild Card berth with a 10-6 mark in 2018, beating the Texans in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Chiefs in the divisional round.
THE PACKERS-BEARS SERIES
- One of the most storied rivalries in professional sports, the two franchises have met 203 times (regular season and playoffs), which is the most in NFL history.
- Starting in 1923, the clubs met for 59 straight years until both games in 1982 were canceled as part of a strike-shortened season.
- Have only met in the postseason twice, with the last meeting coming following the 2010 season. With a berth in Super Bowl XLV on the line, the Packers emerged victorious, 21-14, at Soldier Field.
- With two wins over the Bears in 2017, Green Bay took and maintained the advantage in the series for the first time since leading 11-10-4 following the 1932 season.
- Green Bay is 23-5 against Chicago with QB Aaron Rodgers as the starter (including playoffs).
- Chicago (first; 784) and Green Bay (second; 782) are the two winningest teams in the NFL (regular season).
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers S Adrian Amos was drafted by Chicago in 2015 and played with the Bears for four seasons (2015-18)…P Pat O'Donnell was drafted by Chicago in 2014 and played with the Bears for eight seasons (2014-2021)…Packers players with connections to Illinois include: DL Dean Lowry (Rockford, Northwestern), G/T Royce Newman (Nashville) and TE Robert Tonyan (McHenry)…Bears OL Lucas Patrick played for the Packers for six seasons (2016-21)…Bears LB Jack Sanborn attended the University of Wisconsin from 2018-2021…Bears WR Equanimeous St. Brown was drafted by the Packers in the sixth round in 2018 and played for the team in 2018 and 2020-21…Bears DL Mike Pennel Jr. played for the Packers from 2014-16...Packers offensive line coach Luke Butkus served as an offensive assistant/assistant offensive line coach for the Bears from 2007-09 and was an offensive line coach at the University of Illinois in 2012 and from 2016-18…Butkus, who attended Bloom Trail High School (Chicago Heights, Ill.), also was signed as a rookie free agent by the Bears in 2002 and is the nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus…Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry was born in Murphysboro, Ill. ...Packers tight ends coach John Dunn was a football assistant for the Bears in 2016 and an offensive assistant for the team in 2017…Packers defensive quality control coach Justin Hood was a graduate assistant for the University of Illinois from 2013-14…Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was with the Packers as an offensive quality control coach from 2014-15, wide receivers coach from 2016-17, a quarterbacks coach in 2019 and the pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2020-21…Bears assistant tight ends coach Tim Zetts was an offensive quality control coach for Green Bay in 2021…Bears offensive quality control coach Omar Young was an offensive quality control coach for Green Bay from 2017-18…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan coached on the staff together in Washington from 2011-13 and Atlanta from 2015-16…LaFleur also coached with Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower in Houston in 2008 and in Washington from 2010-13…Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and Bears head coach Matt Eberflus coached together on the staff in Dallas from 2013-17…Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry and Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams were on the staff together in Tampa Bay in 2001…Packers defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis coached Bears LB Roquan Smith while serving as a defensive graduate assistant at Georgia during the 2016-17 seasons…Packers player personnel executive Lee Gissendaner played wide receiver at Northwestern from 1990-93…Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy was the athletic director at Northwestern from 2003-07…Bears DE Robert Quinn and Packers WR Randall Cobb played together in Dallas in 2019…Quinn also played with Packers WR Sammy Watkins for the Rams in 2017 when LaFleur was also with the Rams…Former college teammates include: Bears DB Eddie Jackson and Packers DL Jarran Reed (Alabama); Bears DL Angelo Blackson and Packers S Rudy Ford (Auburn); Bears RB David Montgomery and Packers WR Allen Lazard (Iowa State); Bears DB Jaylon Jones and Packers G/T Royce Newman (Mississippi); Bears QB Trevor Siemian and Packers DL Dean Lowry (Northwestern); Bears QB Justin Fields and Packers C/G Josh Myers (Ohio State); Bears DB Jaquan Brisker and Packers T Rasheed Walker (Penn State); Bears TE Trevon Wesco and Packers CB Rasul Douglas (West Virginia).
