The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have one of the best rivalries in the NFL. They have gone toe-to-toe in more than their fair share of consequential NFL contests. Just as recently as last season, they met in the first round of the playoffs. This rivalry is still alive and well, but it may not be as high octane as it has been in recent memory.
One big piece of evidence is how the NFL flexed their Week 5 matchup back to the 1 p.m. ET window. Caleb Williams being hurt likely played a big part in that decision.
The rest of the league may not care too much about this game, but there are bragging rights on the line for Chicago and Green Bay. Fans can expect a highly competitive and emotional game this weekend.
Which team will come out on top this time around?
Here are three bold predictions ahead of this huge NFC North matchup between the Bears and Packers.
Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)Tyson Bagent, Jordan Love combine for fewer than 375 passing yards in Week 5
Unfortunately, it looks like Caleb Williams will not be playing in this important rivalry game.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson already declared that Bagent will be the starter against the Packers. There will be no quarterback trickery like last week.
If circumstances were different, that one decision could almost single-handedly decide the outcome of this game. But Green Bay may not be up to the task of slowing down Chicago offense, even with a backup quarterback.
Green Bay is dealing with multiple injuries on both sides of the football this season. Micah Parsons has yet to return and now Edgerrin Cooper is out for the season with a torn Achilles.
Meanwhile, both teams have been quite successful at shutting down their opponent's passing attack this season. In fact, both teams rank in the top five in terms of passing yards allowed per game.
Put all this together and it looks like this could be a classic black and blue divisional showdown.
Bagent and Love will not combine for more than 375 passing yards in this game. That gives each quarterback room for roughly 188 passing yards, roughly the average each defense has allowed through four games.
Chicago will gain at least 200 rushing yards, two touchdowns against Green Bay
Another reason why the Bears may not rack up the passing yards in Week 5 is their running game.
Ben Johnson has never been shy about establishing the run before. The same will hold true in this game, and likely would with or without Caleb Williams at quarterback.
The Bears have the best rushing offense in the NFL thanks to the dynamic duo of D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Both players have surprisingly similar rushing stats, each just over 300 yards with three touchdowns.
Johnson's offensive scheme is simply incredible at getting the most out of the running game. Chicago averages 4.9 yards per carry as a team this season, and that's even accounting for kneel downs and scrambles from Bagent and Case Keenum.
That is bad news for a Packers defense that has already been gashed on the ground worse than almost any other team. And now they won't have Cooper patrolling the middle of the field.
The Bears will rack up over 200 rushing yards in this game with multiple runners getting involved. They will also score at least two rushing touchdowns.
Article Continues BelowIf that happens, it will be incredibly difficult for the Packers to win the game.
The Bears win by 10 points, send Packers into tailspin early in the season
Weirdly, it could be each team's defense that makes the difference in this one.
As noted above, both of these defensive units have played quite well early in the 2026 season. But one area where they are worlds apart is the most important stat around: points allowed per game.
Green Bay allows 26.3 points per game this season, compared to just 16.3 by Chicago. This is where Johnson's excellent rushing attack helps out the defense. If the Bears can possess the ball for a long time, their opponent gets fewer chances to score points. That is just simple complementary football, but it is also a massive superpower for the Bears right now.
Ultimately, Chicago has major advantages both on their coaching staff and at key position on offense that will make the difference in this one.
The Bears will win this game by at least 10 points and improve to 4-1 on the season. Meanwhile, the Packers will fall to 2-3 after this crushing divisional loss.