Bears and Packers Set to Sling It Around

It seems blasphemous to suggest, but the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers could be in for a different kind of slugfest Sunday night.

This isn't a matchup known for its high-scoring games. Instead, the reputation of the NFL's longest-running rivalry leans toward low-scoring games and highly physical football. This weekend's meeting at Lambeau Field is more likely to produce just one of those things.

On one side of the ball, you have a brash, confident newcomer, eager to prove his worth to his new team and the league. Jay Cutler might not have the same kind of weapons Green Bay does, but he has a great arm, isn't afraid to use it, and rarely wavers from his confident persona.

The home team features another young quarterback, who leads an offense full of dangerous weapons. Aaron Rodgers doesn't have Cutler's arm, but he does have great chemistry with his receivers. Rodgers also possesses good sense of the pass rush, and the ability to get away from it before he gets swallowed whole.

Neither team appears particularly advanced on defense heading into Sunday's opener. The Bears are still dealing with injuries in the secondary. They also don't know for sure if star linebacker Brian Urlacher will return to previous form, or if his relatively disastrous 2008 season was the first sign of a decline.

Green Bay overhauled their defensive coaching staff after last year's 6-10 debacle, hiring veteran Dom Capers to run that side of the ball. Darren Perry joined the staff from Pittsburgh, and the always-loud Kevin Greene helps coach the Packers' linebackers. The transition to a 3-4 base defense is still in progress, and figures to be for the first part of the season. It's rare that this type of change happens seamlessly, so the Bears should be able to exploit some favorable matchups. Aaron Kampman, a former defensive end, could be a liability in coverage. Look for Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark to be key pieces to the Bears' attack Sunday night.

Rodgers has his own weapons. Running back Ryan Grant is healthy after battling a hamstring injury and still surpassing 1,200 yards a year ago. Receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver and tight end Donald Lee all return, joined by dynamic second-year tight end Jermichael Finley. He's athletic enough to be used as a wide receiver when the Packers go to their empty backfield. Rodgers should have another fine season, and Sunday could be a huge night against Chicago's banged-up secondary.

The keys to this game seem pretty simple. The Packers have to find a way to run the ball against a pretty tough front seven that's back and healthy after a rough season. Green Bay needs to do this while also dealing with new starters on their offensive line. Chicago, meanwhile, has a proven talent at running back in Matt Forte, and they will -- presumably -- be able to run the ball while the Packers figure out their 3-4 scheme. Look for the Bears to try some misdirection plays and cutback runs, as Green Bay seemed to struggle defending these in the preseason.

In the end, it's not likely to match the highest-scoring game in the rivalry's history. On Nov. 6, 1955, the Bears trounced Green Bay 52-31. This should, however, end up being one of the weekend's more exciting games.