GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Bears’ defense has been all over the place this season, in good ways and bad. It has been everywhere in the figurative sense of allowing point totals between three and 42 over the last 1½ months, but it also seems to be covering every inch of the field with an NFL-best 30 takeaways.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love saw a little of everything in a 28-21 win over the Bears at Lambeau Field two weeks ago. Nickel cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted a pass from him to snuff out the Packers’ opening drive, but Love and the running game began hammering the Bears’ weak spots in the second quarter and scored touchdowns on four of six possessions.
The ballhawking lingered in Love’s mind more than the three long touchdown passes he threw in the game as he prepared for the rematch Saturday at Soldier Field.
Bears safety Kevin Byard leads the league with six interceptions, followed closely by cornerback Nahshon Wright with five and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who could return from injured reserve this week, with four. Defensive end Montez Sweat is a strip-sack waiting to happen, and six other defenders have forced a fumble this season.
“You’ve just got to make smart decisions when you’re out there,” Love said Wednesday. “It all starts with understanding what kind of coverages you’re going to be seeing and . . . where to go with the ball.”
That sounds simple enough, but many quarterbacks have had trouble doing it against the Bears. They’ve allowed two 300-yard passing games and five 100-plus passer ratings and on Sunday spun Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders into three interceptions and a 30.3 passer rating.
Love, though, is among the few to light them up. He rode out his rough start to complete 68% of his passes, throw for 234 yards and post a 120.7 passer rating.
He has crushed the Bears since taking over as a full-time starter in 2023 when the Packers traded Aaron Rodgers. He’s 4-1 against them with the only loss being the final game of last season when his team had nothing on the line and he left early with a minor injury. He has averaged 225 yards passing, thrown nine touchdown passes and two interceptions and has a 120.7 passer rating — his highest against any team he has faced more than once.
He also is in the top 10 in passing in most categories this season with 23 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a 101.9 passer rating. Bears coach Ben Johnson correctly called him “a really dangerous player right now” this week.
Love has a ways to go to match what Rodgers and Brett Favre did before him, but he indisputably has carried on the Packers’ tradition of superb quarterback play, especially against the archrival Bears.
“As far as the respect he deserves as a competitor, he’s just getting the ball where it needs to go, playing with extreme confidence and you can tell all the years accumulated in that offense and in the league is really coming to life for him,” Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said this week. “Definitely a lot of respect for his game.”
That said, it’s unclear whether the Packers will have all their pieces in place around Love on Saturday.
Wide receiver Christian Watson was hospitalized after a scary play Sunday in Denver but practiced some Wednesday, and coach Matt LaFleur said he’s “fighting to play.” Three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs has been out this week with knee and ankle injuries. Right tackle Zach Tom was out, too, with back and knee issues.
Love has climbed to the point where he’s getting opponents’ attention on his own, however. It’s not about LaFleur’s scheme or the offensive line or the weapons around him. He’s the threat.