The Green Bay Packers are a few years removed from their Super Bowl win and they are looking like contender again as they move into their Monday night football matchup in Week 9 against the Chicago Bears and the MNF game will start at 8:30 and is live streaming online on the WatchESPN website from Lambeau Field.
The game will lack some star power with Jay Cutler out of the lineup and that means the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers will have an advantage over the Chicago Bears as the oldest rivalry in the NFL picks up again. The Packers have been rushing the ball better than they have in years with Eddie Lacy and James Starks leading the way and along with Jonathan Franklin, the team has been very consistent on the ground and that is one reason why Mike McCarthy drafted those players and running the ball is something the offense worked on a great deal in the offseason and they have had two of their best rushing games in the past five years this season and that means the team should put the ball on the ground plenty on Monday night. The Bears and the Packers both will focus on rushing the ball and Chicago will be putting the rock in Matt Forte's hands.
Check here for the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers Monday night football stream.
The Packers are currently tops in the NFC North and the Bears are chasing them along and with Jay Cutler out, the team has not looked into signing anyone else, as they expect him to return soon and Josh McCown looked solid despite losing to the Redskins. Cutler was off to a solid start with 1,658 yards this season with 12 touchdowns and now players like Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall will have to continue playing at a high level to win on Monday. Jeffery has been an excellent second receiver for the Bears with 33 catches for over 500 yards and he has been paired with another high performer in Marshall, who has 46 catches for over 530 yards with five scores and along with Martellus Bennett they will be the main players for McCown.
The Packers are coming in with one of the best offensive units in the league ranked in the top 10 in both rushing and passing yards and Rodgers has over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns this season already. The team has gotten some solid play from Lacy and Starks with over 600 combined yards and Lacy is leading rookies with 446 yards and three touchdowns. The receivers have been solid stepping up for Cobb and Jones while they have been hurt, as Jordy Nelson is now leading the team with 39 catches for 649 yards and seven scores and Cobb is expected to come back later in the season and that could make the team even more dangerous come playoff time.
The Bears started off with three solid wins that were close to begin the season and that is where signs of trouble should have been seen, as they dropped the next two and then defeated the terrible Giants and they nearly lost that game if not for a timely interception and now they play on the road against the Packers at Lambeau. The Bears have a tough stretch to finish the season with the Packers and then the Lions and later in the schedule they play four games on the road in five weeks with the only home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field on Monday night football. The Packers have a matchup on the road with the Dallas Cowboys as well as one with the Giants and they are home against the Steelers and Lions while they will finish the season with the Bears on the road. Monday night football in Week 9 will be the Packers and the Bears starting up at 8:30 on ESPN.