Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: Complete Week 4 Preview for Green Bay

If you consider yourself a fan of the Green Bay Packers in the slightest, you will remember the sheer joy and jubilation you felt watching Randall Cobb haul in a 48-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of last year's Week 17 contest far beyond the moment you take your last earthly breath. 

On Sunday, 10 months removed from that most memorable of moments, the oldest rivals in pro football square off for their 187th regular season battle. Green Bay and Chicago split the season series a year ago, the road teams winning in both cases.

The Packers have sputtered offensively through three games, and they appear to be a far cry from the offensive juggernaut of years past. They rank 28th and 27th in total yards and points per game, respectively, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers lamenting the lack of in-game adjustments.

But, these are not uncharted waters.

Green Bay has been 1-2 after three games in each of the last two seasons. In 2012, the Packers were 1-2 after the "Fail Mary" debacle in Seattle, slipped to 2-3 after Andrew Luck's heroics in Seattle and finished at 11-5. A year later, even with the injuries to Rodgers and Randall Cobb, Green Bay won the NFC North for the third straight year, albeit with a mediocre 8-7-1 record. 

And this is the time when Rodgers does what he does best—dominate. 

Since '09, in rebound games from L's with rating below 90, Rodgers has completed 67% of passes for 2,665 yds, 25 tot TD, 4 int. 114.3 rating

— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) September 25, 2014

Few quarterbacks are better after subpar performances than No. 12. 

What a forgettable game that was. 

But, hopefully it was not forgotten by the Packers. 

Green Bay tallied its lowest points total in a game started and finished by Aaron Rodgers in a 19-7 loss to Detroit. It was the first time he had suffered a loss to Detroit as well. 

The game started off as poorly as the previous one, only it took one more snap. Instead of losing a fumble on the first play of the game, as Green Bay did against New York in Week 2, the Packers generously waited until the second play, when Eddie Lacy's fumble was recovered by Lions safety Don Carey and returned for a touchdown. 

And after digging out of an 18-point hole the week before, the Packers quickly learned that Detroit's stingy defense was having none of that. Andrew Quarless' 10-yard touchdown catch was the lone Packers score of the day. Rodgers missed Jordy Nelson for a touchdown on a critical fourth-down play, and the receivers didn't help themselves or Rodgers with a total of six drops on the day. 

But it wasn't all bad.

After the defense was torched by Seattle and in the first half of Week 2's win over the New York Jets, it has played winning football under defensive coordinator Dom Capers. Green Bay's defense kept Rodgers and Co. in the game until the waning moments. Julius Peppers played his best game in green and gold, sacking Matthew Stafford once and storming the backfield on multiple other occasions. 

Peppers Returns

Among Sunday's many storylines, Julius Pepper's return to Chicago trumps them all. The 13-year pro and first-year Packer said earlier this week that his missed sack on Rodgers last season probably cost him his job. As you probably remember, it was John Kuhn's block that freed Rodgers to escape to his left and hit Cobb for the winning touchdown. Peppers spent four productive seasons in the Windy City, totaling 38 sacks in 64 games. 

Lacy In Wait

A consistent ground game will be a sight for sore eyes for Packers fans, with Eddie Lacy still looking to get on track. Last year's NFL Rookie of the Year has just 113 yards rushing through three games, far off his pace a season ago. But, after being called out by coach Mike McCarthy—according to the Journal Sentinel's Tyler Dunne—Lacy is poised for a breakout game.

Allen Wrench

Bears defensive end Jared Allen, formerly of the Chiefs and Vikings, struggled Weeks 1 and 2 but had a notable day in a Week 3 victory over the Jets. 

Coaches review of MNF game gave #Bears DE Jared Allen 8 QB pressures

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 24, 2014

Zebra Zebra Zebra

McCarthy has relied heavily on his 11 personnel package (one running back, one tight end, three receivers) so far this season.

#Packers have run 176 offensive plays this season. Of those, 137 have been with three WRs, one TE and one RB on the field.

— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) September 25, 2014

Matthews dropped out of the Packers' Week 3 loss to Detroit but was able to participate in all three game-week practices. That's good news for the All-Pro linebacker, writes ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. 

Boykin was a full participant Wednesday and Thursday but did not participate on Friday, leading to his questionable status. If he's not able to go, expect rookie Jeff Janis to play in Boykin's stead. 

Jones should see himself on the active roster for the first time since Week 1, though that doesn't mean he's getting his starting position back. Jamari Lattimore has played admirably in Jones' absence, and the coaching staff might wait until Jones is full-go before reinserting him back into the starting lineup. 

Bulaga's probable status is a surefire sign that he will make his second straight start at right tackle after a Week 1 sprained MCL. 

Matt Forte vs. Packers defense

Despite Forte's frustration with the Bears' running-game woes, he's still one of the game's most versatile running backs, able to hurt the defense in a number of ways. The former Tulane dynamo has totaled 1,153 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns against the Packers in his seven-year career, and he presents a formidable matchup against Green Bay's coverage-deficient inside linebacker corps. 

Packers receivers vs. Bears secondary

The winner of this battle usually wins the football game in the Bears-Packers rivalry—at least that's been the case since Aaron Rodgers took over as Green Bay's starting QB in 2008.

If Chicago's defensive backs are able to stymie Rodgers' targets at the line of scrimmage, force turnovers and deceive the best quarterback in the game, that's a recipe for winning football. But, if Rodgers can get hot, like he is wont to do after a loss in which he did not play well, he should be able to take advantage of a depleted Bears secondary that just lost its most accomplished player (Charles "Peanut" Tillman).

Look for the Packers to go after Chicago's inexperienced corners early and often. 

Jared Allen vs. David Bakhtiari

Allen is not the same player he was in his heyday during the early- to mid-2000s, but he's still a formidable pass-rusher on the defensive line. He tallied eight pressures in a Week 3 win over New York, and he'll be looking to do the same going up against second-year left tackle David Bakhtiari.

Thankfully for Bakhtiari, he saw plenty of Allen in two matchups last season while Allen was with the Minnesota Vikings. 

The Packers have yet to win on the road. 

The Bears are winless at home. 

Something's gotta give. 

In Week 4, it will be the Bears rush defense that will gie, as Eddie Lacy will romp to the end zone at least once and take the pressure off Aaron Rodgers and the passing game in a Packers win over the Bears.

"Same old" Jay Cutler will come to rescue for the Packers, turning the ball over at least twice in a game that starts out close but turns in to a laugher for the three-time defending NFC North champions. 

With the way Rodgers and this Packers team responds to a loss, I have the utmost confidence that Week 4 will be a defining moment for this Green Bay squad, a day in which it reminds its regional foes exactly who owns this division.

Prediction: Green Bay 30, Chicago 17

Odds via OddsShark.com: Green Bay -1