A big day for Kyler Gordon: 3 things we heard at Halas Hall as the Chicago Bears prepare for the Packers

The days and hours inch closer to Saturday.

The Chicago Bears are in the middle of preparing for their first round of the NFL Playoffs, where they'll welcome the Packers to town again.

Here are three things we heard at Halas Hall as the Bears prepare for their NFC Wild Card game against the Packers on Saturday.

Wednesday is a big day for Kyler Gordon

Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon has been on injured reserve dating back to Dec. 13. He landed on IR after he suffered a groin injury before the Dec. 7 game against the Packers at Lambeau Field, and has been out since.

After missing the required four games after being placed on IR, Gordon’s 21-day practice window was activated this week. He’ll have a chance to return this weekend when it matters most.

On Wednesday, when the coordinators spoke to the press, the Bears indicated they’re operating as if Gordon will play a part in the game plan. But, the first step is seeing how Gordon moves as a piece of the defense.

"Our plan is to have him be part of it," Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "Today will be the first practice to see him move around and excited to get him back in the fold."

Allen’s plan for Gordon has yet to materialize. The defensive back has often been injured this season, playing in just two games. 

However, his reactivation would come at a perfect time.

Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who has had three sacks and an interception as the Bears’ nickel cornerback this season, will be in the concussion protocol for the rest of the week.

Reserve defensive back Nick McCloud could be back. Gordon wouldn’t play a full game’s worth of snaps, either. Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards didn’t when they returned from multiple games missed from injury.

Getting Gordon back, even in a limited sense, would help a defense that’s in need of playmakers.

"It’s been unfortunate that we haven’t had him much this season, but he was a guy coming into the season we were really excited about," Allen said. "I feel like he can help us make some plays and help us win."

Getting Rome Odunze back could solve some Bears’ offensive issues

The biggest issue the Bears’ offense has faced in the past few weeks has been the slow starts.

The entire unit started slow for three quarters against Detroit. Consecutive three-and-outs to start against San Francisco allowed the 49ers to take a 14-7 lead.

"There's a process I believe in, in terms of how we prepare these guys," Bears coach Ben Johnson said Tuesday. "I think we’ve got a lot of great professionals, and I think anytime you bring attention to something, they look to fix it and that's what we're doing here this week."

What could help is getting one of the Bears’ top offensive playmakers back into the fold.

Rome Odunze was limited in practice to end the week and was questionable heading into Sunday’s game. He didn’t play, but that felt like the staff saving Odunze for a playoff game, much like Saturday.

Specifically with Odunze, it might reopen some parts of the playbook the Bears couldn’t use with one of their top receivers out.

"Really it's the same with all of our players," Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said Thursday. "We always have plays for each guy specifically, and you know, we're excited to have him back."

Odunze caught 44 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season. He last played on Nov. 28 against the Eagles, where he had two receptions for eight yards.

He tried to make a comeback against the Browns, but reaggravated his foot injury. With him back in the fold, the Bears can utilize specific plays for Odunze in passing situations and stretch the field. He doesn’t need to be the top target, as he’s one of four Bears’ receivers with at least 40 receptions and 650 yards.

Odunze mentioned Wendesday he expects to play Saturday, however his conditioning isn't where it used to be and he's acutely aware he won't be able to contribute like he has previously this season.

Odunze would join the tandem quarterback Caleb Williams has already with Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III, which has developed nicely this season already.

Doyle said he doesn’t want to give Odunze too much as he works his way back from his injury, but when he’s out there the offense will maximize his usage.

"We were talking a few weeks ago when he went down before pre-game, texted him after the game, said, ‘I got you,’" Williams said Monday. "We'll get to the playoffs and we'll handle business when you come back. But I need you back healthy and ready to go." 

Round 3 vs. a well-known opponent

The Bears and Packers are no strangers to each other. This will be the third time the two teams have played each other in two months.

What happens when both teams know what the other is going to do?

"The third matchup, the fundamentals come to play 'cause you know each other so well," Bears defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett said. "It’s having an understanding of, okay, when am I getting chipped? When do I have the one-on-one? Where's this slide going? It's just having an understanding of what they're going to do. And then when you see it, trust it and take advantage of your one-on-ones."

At this point of the season, the Bears can’t do anything else except trust the roster of players that brought them to the playoffs. 

Defensive backs coach Al Harris was asked which player on the Bears could make a game-winning interception returned for a touchdown, much like Harris did against the Seahawks in 2003, and Harris just named off every cornerback the Bears had.

"All of 'em, seriously," Harris said. "Whoever we got on the field, I got total confidence."

The players have returned that trust in their coaches.

"Our coaching staff's done a great job all year and putting us in great positions, so we put a lot of trust in them," offensive lineman Joe Thuney said. "They've done a great job so far and it's just up to us to digest it and then to go put it on the field and execute."

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