Is it possible for Bears get more pressure on Aaron Rodgers?
Last time the Bears and Packers met, the Bears defense dropped eight defenders into coverage multiple times. Against a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, the strategy failed miserably.
Rodgers threw 3 touchdown passes by halftime and the Packers led the Bears by 31 points at one point. Green Bay won 41-25 Nov. 29 at Lambeau Field.
"It hurt all of us," Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. "I've put it first and foremost on myself. We all know what happened. That's ancient history."
As the saying goes, though, history repeats itself.
If the Bears don't do something different, they risk falling into the same trap they did a month ago. There's a reason Rodgers has become the betting favorite to win the NFL MVP award this season.
Pagano was understandably hesitant Thursday to say if he would bring more pressure against Rodgers. He said the Bears would "empty the chamber," so to speak, but wouldn't elaborate. Looking back on that game, the Bears pass rush produced zero QB hits. Rodgers had all the time in the world to throw the ball and it showed in the stat book.
A combination of things need to happen for the Bears to change that Sunday with a playoff spot on the line at Soldier Field. A timely blitz here and there from Pagano's play sheet would help, but the pass rush also has to be better when the Bears only rush four.
"Even if there are seven, eight men protecting and we've only got four rushers, regardless, we look at ourselves," outside linebacker Robert Quinn said. "Whoever is out there rushing, we've got to win those. And the back end, they've got to cover. No excuses, no explanations, just execute our jobs."
Quinn is as surprised as anybody that it's Week 17 and he has 2 sacks on the season. After recording a strip sack on his first snap of the 2020 season in Week 2 against the New York Giants, Quinn finally produced another sack Dec. 20 against the Minnesota Vikings.
"When I look at it, I'm still shocked," Quinn said. "I still can't believe I had a season like I've had this year, but there's no excuse. The only person I've got to blame is myself for that."
Over the offseason, the Bears signed Quinn to a five-year contract worth a guaranteed $30 million and worth up to $70 million. His two sacks this season would be worse than a career low four sacks in 2016 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
Quinn has played better late in the season, though it's hard to quantify with stats. He was more disruptive against Minnesota and Jacksonville the past two weeks. The Bears need him and Pro Bowl outside linebacker Khalil Mack to play at their best Sunday.
"The thing that gets (Rodgers) riled up is confusing him," Bears safety Eddie Jackson said. "Putting pressure on him, not letting him know where he's going to go with the ball before he hikes it, just giving him different looks. ... From the rush to the coverage to the disguise, we all have to work together."
Confusing Rodgers is the hard part, in Pagano's eyes. He said Rodgers wins plays at the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped because, at 37 years old, he has "seen it all."
An underrated aspect of Rodgers' game is how fast he gets the offense to the line of scrimmage, Pagano said. He gives himself plenty of time on the play clock to study the defense before the snap.
"He's a smart quarterback," Jackson said. "I know he likes to look at us a lot in the back end safeties to see our disguise and tell what coverage we are in. So we just have to confuse him and get him on his heels a little bit."
It's easier said than done, of course. Rodgers has thrown for 15 touchdowns and just one interception in his last five games. He leads the NFL with 44 touchdown passes.