Why the Chicago Bears expect the same challenge from Green Bay, even without Micah Parsons

The last time the Bears and Packers had NFC North division title stakes on the line was 2013.

The Chicago Bears came in at 8-7. The Green Bay Packers were 7-7-1. Aaron Rodgers ripped out the hearts of the Bears with a 48-yard touchdown to Randall Cobb. Not many in Halas Hall prefer to recall this particular memory.

Fast-forward 12 years, and the winner of the Bears vs. Packers at Soldier Field on Saturday night in primetime will most likely win the division.

The Bears understand what’s at stake. They also have made it abundantly clear they expect to see the same Packers team they saw earlier this season, just with a different look on the outside.

"Throughout, we have a tall task at hand," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said.

What they're saying:

Round 2 of the Bears vs. Packers will be different regardless. It’s at Soldier Field. The Bears are coming off a win. The Packers are coming off a devastating loss where Parsons tore his ACL.

Without Parsons, the Bears are expecting the Packers to look dissimilar to the team they played at Lambeau Field two weeks ago.

"They're changing. Micah is out," Johnson said. "You're trying to forecast what they might do to match certain personnel groups or slow down our run game. That's a difficult thing to do when that injury happened last game. We have to be prepared to adjust and play accordingly."

Still, Parsons’ absence will be felt.

Against the Bears at Lambeau Field, Parsons did not have a sack but was credited with seven quarterback pressures and two quarterback hits. Those were seven times he affected a play and two plays where Parsons was able to affect Caleb Williams.

On top of that, Parsons had 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. He was a terror as a pass rusher, but found ways to 

That won’t be there Saturday evening. But, the Bears are wary of the other pieces that were behind Parson and still comprise a tough defense that’s in the top half of the league.

The Packers will still get after the quarterback and try to create big plays, much like the Bears’ defense does.

"You can't forget they have other good pass rushers other than Parsons," Williams said. "We will go into the week and we'll prepare how we normally prepare and have our stuff. Then when you get into a game, you obviously have to adjust for whatever they do."

Outside of Halas Hall, it’s easy to see why teams would focus on just one player. Parsons is a game-changer, and his acquisition in Green Bay immediately opened the door for a Super Bowl run.

But, the Bears understand how, in a game with NFC North division title stakes, you can’t blink. Especially against the Packers. With Parsons out, the Packers will have a new wrinkle or two to throw at the Bears. What the Packers do won’t change, but how they get there will.

"I know you kind of lock in on one player, because he does garner a lot of your attention when you go against that defense, and yet, they have some high-caliber players throughout, on the defensive line, the linebacking core and on the back end," Johnson said. "Just because one player goes down, that doesn't mean that this is going to change a whole lot for them."

What's next:

Expecting the unexpected and adjusting is easier than it sounds. The Bears know what’s ahead of them, though.

The loss at Lambeau Field was a humbling experience. It snapped a five-game winning streak and send the Bears from the No. 1 seed in the NFC to No. 7.

"That’s a great team in Green Bay," Bears defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson said Sunday after the win over Cleveland. "We accept our loss, we know what we got to do this week."

Part of that comes with getting a win. That would go a long way of proving the new-look Bears can be a team that beats Green Bay after all.

"We got a lot to show and a lot to prove," Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said Sunday.