Welcome to another edition of Opposition Research, where I’ll be taking a look at the next Packers opponent, the Chicago Bears. To be honest with you, this game feels a little like a high school reunion. Back in W1, we both thought we were cool, we both had primetime QBs and in-your-face defenses, and so we talked big games. Now, meeting again after such a long time, the Packers have the hotter date and a brighter future, while the Bears are muttering under their breath about how unfair life is. I’m not saying this isn’t a tough game for the Packers – it’s never easy to go back to a reunion without slipping into old (bad) habits – I’m just saying that this game will show just how far the Packers have come since the beginning of the 2009 season.
There's only been one regular season game, and already, the rolls of players lost for the 2009 season are already filling up. We've been hearing all week that the marquee matchup between the Bears and Steelers is marred by significant injuries to All-Pro S Troy Polamalu (lost for 6 weeks) and LB Brian Urlacher (lost for season). The standard doomsday questions abound: are the Steelers in danger of losing their spot atop the AFC North? (If they are, it's not because of this.) Will this mean the Bears and Jay Cutler will run wild? (Highly unlikely.) With Urlacher out, are the Bears still Super Bowl contenders? (No, Peter King, but they never really were.) Will the Bears' misery ever end? (Oh, I hope not.)
Well, now there's news coming out of San Diego today that Chargers DT Jamal Williams has been placed on injured reserve with a triceps injury. Like the Packers, the Chargers run a 3-4 defensive scheme, and an injury to the big man in the middle is going to put the Chargers in an even tougher spot than they already were going into this week's game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The chances of those two picks he just gave up (not to mention the third rounder as well) becoming good to very good players is a hell of a lot higher than the chances of Jay Cutler leading an offensivly challenged Bears team to the Super Bowl.
Aaron and Bill take a look at the position battles they are most looking forward to when the Packers begin training camp on July 22nd at Ray Nitschke Field.
On today's show, Andy continues ranking the Packers from 90 to 1, today looking at the middle third of the roster, and ranks the players from 60 to 31. Don't miss it!
