At this point the Bears may be ready to consider a Ouija board, Tarot cards or other alternate-reality ways to help reverse their sagging fortunes in the unlikely venue of Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers. Maybe bringing in Rex Grossman or Shea McClellin as honorary captains? I mean, as long as we’re considering alternative realities.
The only times the Bears have won in Lambeau Field over the last 15 years came with either Grossman or McClellin on the roster. The Bears have won two of the last three times (2013, 2015) they went to Green Bay, which brightened at least one Bears' day.
“That’s a pretty cool fact,” said end/linebacker Willie Young, brightening at the thought.
The Bears will not be turning to any kind of known talisman, although they might be forgiven for secretly sticking pins in an Aaron Rodgers doll.
“We’ve got to approach this game like we’re going to impose our will on him and that’s going to be pressing the pocket, great push, containing him, getting him on the ground with the ball in his hand,” Young said. “However we’ve got to do it, that’s what we’ve got to do. There’s no easy way to say it because he’s Aaron Rodgers.”
[MORE BEARS: A turnaround involves more than just winning at Green Bay]
And the Bears this year are the Bears, meaning they rarely inconvenience quarterbacks with their rush. Young (six) has nearly half of the team’s 13 sacks, with only Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck being sacked more than twice, and Luck’s five were part of an acknowledged inconsistent rush that contributed to allowing 29 points.
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But under the dismal present circumstances, perhaps playing up some imagined rivalry with Rodgers and the Packers might spark…something.
“I think you know just looking at the next two weeks, people can see we have two division games,” said coach John Fox.
Added Young: “That rivalry is pretty big. They kind of had their way with us, I think the year before. I think our guys understood that. I think the fact that it’s a division game – this will be our second division game this season – so I think it’s kind of exciting that we’re getting back into it on a short week coming off a day like [Sunday vs. Jacksonville]. I’m kind of excited to get back on Thursday, a short week, against a rival.”