5 ways the Packers can assert NFC North dominance and beat the Bears

The Packers head into their Week 11 contest with the Bears anxious to wash the taste out of their Week 9 loss to the Lions out of their mouths. The bye week did to several key members of Matt LaFleur's team a world of good. Green Bay should come into the NFC North showdown buoyed by the return of several starters from injury.

Winning this game won't be enough for the Packers to build momentum. They may only be a 5.5-point favorite per FanDuel, but there's no reason why they can't dominate a Bears team that's been reeling in recent weeks. Green Bay should look to dominate Chicago in these five ways to cruise through Sunday's game.

Packers strategy No. 1: Bludgeon the Bears with Josh Jacobs

The Packers always want to establish the run early in games to free things up for quarterback Jordan Love and the passing game. The fact that Love was limited due to injury in the Lions game should only heighten Green Bay's desire to hammer the Bears on the ground.

Fortunately for the Packers, Josh Jacobs heads into this game in fine form. He was not injured heading into the bye week but having a few days off surely did his body some good. Chicago's front-seven should be concerned at the prospect of lining up against a fresh Jacobs on Sunday.

Green Bay should be aiming to get Jacobs a minimum of 25 carries this week. Him topping the 100-yard mark would be a good sign for a decisive Packers victory.

Packers strategy No. 2: Blitz Caleb Williams

The Bears offensive line has been a mess recently. It was never more evident than in last game's loss to the Patriots where rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked nine times. The Packers don't need to shoot for double-digit sacks on Sunday but they should aim to get after Williams early and often.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley cannot afford to let Williams regain his confidence early in the game. Instead, his philosophy should be to bring pressure on a heavy percentage of first-quarter passing downs. Keeping Williams out of rhythm early is a must for the Packers' defense.

If they can do that it could be another long day for the Bears' offense. Green Bay is catching their NFC North rivals in the midst of an offensive transition after Chicago's decision to fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Green Bay cannot afford to let their opponents get any early-game confidence this week if they want to win this game with ease.

Packers strategy No. 3: Takeaway D.J. Moore

The Bears offense has struggled to protect Williams mightily in recent weeks, but the Packers cannot afford to sleep on the talent Chicago has at wide receiver. D.J. Moore has been the team's top pass-catcher on the season and can really torment opposing defensive backs who give him the room to work.

The Packers should concentrate on doubling Moore whenever they have a reasonable opportunity. Their defensive backfield should be buoyed by the return of Jaire Alexander this week, but safety help should give be given against Moore on every snap.

Taking away Moore with double-teams will give rookie Rome Odunze a chance to work against single-coverage but he's not the finished article at receiver that Moore is at this stage of their respective careers. He might hit an explosive play now and again but that's a price worth paying if the Packers can silence Moore.

Packers strategy No. 4: Let Xavier McKinney roam in centerfield

The fact that Williams has been a shell of himself in recent weeks means the Packers should be looking to force him into turnovers on Sunday. No member of their defense is better at that than safety Xavier McKinney.

He may not be averaging a pick-per-game anymore but he still is an interception magnet when he's given the freedom to roam the deep third of the field. The Packers should look to give him that kind of freedom as often as possible against the Bears. His ability to bait opposing quarterbacks into risky throws should line up perfectly against Chicago's offense.

Hafley and his staff should look to move McKinney around this week but his best work will be done when he's the safety over the top. No Packers fan should be surprised if he gets his hands on a pass or two against Williams.

Packers strategy No. 5: Lean heavily on play-action

Love is expected to be fully healthy this week, but there's no reason for the Packers to expose him to unneccessary hits against the Bears. Instead, Love should take most of his shots down the field via play action in this game to give him cleaner platforms to throw from.

The success of the team's play-action game is predicated on Jacobs getting off to a good start but that's already a building block of Green Bay's offensive philosophy every week. A few good runs from Jacobs will pull Chicago's safeties into the box. That will open up deep throws down the seam for Love.

The Packers should not ask too much from Love physically in this game. They need him to be more of a point guard than a savior against a Bears team that doesn't have the offensive firepower to match Green Bay. Leaning into the play-action game this week is a great way to keep the Bears' defense off balance and minimize the wear and tear on Green Bay's most important offensive player.