3 ways the Bears can beat the Packers and keep their postseason hopes alive

How long is a hangover supposed to last? Fans of the Chicago Bears would desperately like to know because the team has looked listless since losing to the Washington Commanders three weeks ago on a last-second Hail Mary. Two more losses later and the season is on the verge of completely collapsing.

This season was supposed to be a tale of two schedules for the Bears, but unfortunately, the "easy" part has only resulted in a 4-5 record. Now the gauntlet begins, as the Green Bay Packers are coming to town fresh off their bye.

In recent years, a date with the Cheeseheads has been the last thing Bears fans want to see when they look at the schedule. Packers coach Matt LaFleur is 10-0 against the Bears (the longest winning streak by one coach in the history of the series), and once again the Pack is looking down at the Bears in the NFC North standings.

We'll find out a lot about Matt Eberflus and his team on Sunday, because one way or another, welcoming the Packers to Soldier Field is exactly what the Bears need right now. We've become conditioned to the fact that this has become a one-sided rivalry, and if the Packers win again, NFL fans will shrug and throw the last bit of dirt on Chicago's grave. Maybe that will be the final straw before Eberflus is let go.

For the few remaining optimistic Bears fans out there, this game presents an opportunity to turn the season around. Being 5-5 with your mojo back after a win over your longtime tormentors is a long way from out of it, even if there's a tough road to hoe ahead.

So what will it take for the Bears to break their Packers curse? Let's look at three ways they can flip the script on Sunday.

Force multiple turnovers from Jordan Love

Packers quarterback Jordan Love is walking proof that a slow first half of the season doesn't have to be a death blow to a team's playoff chances. He and the Packers were 3-6 last year before turning things around in the second half, ultimately making the playoffs and blowing out the Cowboys in Dallas before losing a close game to the eventual NFC champion 49ers.

Love sat behind Aaron Rodgers for two years, and he still needed time to find himself once he became the team's starter. That's encouraging for Caleb Williams, who has come under fire during a rough stretch recently.

The Packers liked what they saw from Love last year enough to reward him with a four-year, $220 million extension this summer. The expectation was that he would take another step forward to join the ranks of the elite quarterbacks in the league, but despite Green Bay's 6-3 record, Love hasn't really elevated his play.

It's not Love's fault that he's dealt with injuries this year, but it should be noted that the Packers are 2-0 when Malik Willis has had to start and just 4-3 when Love plays. Just as he did in college, the former Utah State quarterback has struggled with interceptions, throwing at least one every game and 10 on the season.

For the Bears to give themselves a chance, their opportunistic defense needs to take the ball away from Love at least twice. That means getting pressure on him up front with the pass rush, and hanging on to the ball if and when he throws it their way. Montez Sweat and Darrell Taylor both missed last week's game against the Patriots due to injury, but both have gotten in limited practices this week. If they're on the field, it would give the Bears a huge boost. Jaquan Brisker has been put on IR after suffering a concussion against the Panthers in Week 5, but the rest of the secondary should be intact. Whether it's Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon or Kevin Byard — somebody needs to make a play.

Feed DJ Moore early and often

Something has been off about DJ Moore all season. He went to bat for Justin Fields last year, so he could be upset that the Bears traded him away in favor of going with a rookie quarterback. He could be frustrated by Caleb Williams' issues throwing the deep ball, or just a lack of targets in general compared to last year. Whatever the reason, Moore hasn't been the same guy that caught 96 balls for 1,364 yards a year ago.

Moore has looked sullen and disinterested for much of this season, which is disappointing considering that Ryan Poles gave him a four-year, $110 million extension this summer. The Bears need Moore to be a leader, and instead, he's been the poster child for a locker room that may be verging on mutiny with another loss or two.

Even though there are several other weapons on offense, the Bears are at their best when Moore is taking over. Thankfully, he's been given some bulletin board material this week by Packers safety Xavier McKinney, who said of Moore, "This dude walked out on his QB. I’ve been playing football for five years now and I’ve been watching football for longer than that, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. You're supposed to be the guy and you’re walking off the field on a rookie QB."

McKinney has been playing at an All-Pro level in his first season in Green Bay, so he's earned the right to say what he wants. He's tied for the league lead in interceptions with six, and he's certainly confident given the Packers' recent history in this rivalry. He's also probably a little miffed that Moore seemed to not know who he was when asked about him before the season.

The Bears haven't had much fight in them the past couple of weeks, but there's nothing like a rivalry game to get the juices flowing. Moore responded to McKinney by saying, "Trash talk is trash talk. We’ll see on Sunday what it all plays out to be." That's a good start.

I want to see the Bears throwing to Moore early and often. Let's see if McKinney can put his money where his mouth is.

Use the Packers' bye week advantage against them

Chicago's front office doesn't want to fully admit it yet, but the Bears are at a coaching disadvantage almost every week that Matt Eberflus wears the headset. That becomes crystal clear against the Packers, as Matt LaFleur is one of the best coaches in the game.

One thing that sets LaFleur apart is how well his teams play after a bye week. The Packers have traditionally closed the season strong under LaFleur, posting a 28-11 record after their week of rest. Compare that to the Bears under Matt Eberflus, who seem like they've forgotten how to play football in the three weeks since they had their own bye.

If there's a silver lining for the Bears here, it's that the Packers are only 2-3 in the game immediately after the bye, so maybe it takes them a week or two to really get warmed up.

How can the Bears take advantage of this? Offensively, it can't be more of the same under new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. The Packers only have tape of the Bears this year under Shane Waldron, so Brown needs to throw as many new things out as he can think of. Part of why coaching matters so much in this league is that the best coaches can study tape and exploit tendencies. The Bears have no tendencies because there's a new person running the offense. Use that.

Teams coming off a bye often need time to shake off the rust, but the Bears have been an abysmal first-quarter team this year. In fact, their opponents have scored first in every single game. That needs to change on Sunday. Attack the Packers while they're still getting their sea legs under them and jump out to a lead. The defense is good and always has been, even as the offense has struggled to pull its weight. Let them play from ahead and good things will happen.