The Chicago Bears will have a difficult task ahead of themselves when they take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football. Most believe that the Bears do not stand a chance and that the game will be over before halftime on Sunday night. Although Chicago is a heavy underdog against Green Bay, many of the Bears' most recent upsets have come in games that have been played in front of a national audience.

Bears Have Had Good Luck Defeating Better Teams In Front Of A National Audience

Since NBC began airing Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football in 2006, the Bears have won several games that no one expected them to win. The first of the upset victories came in week one of the 2008 season. The Bears faced off against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football in the Colts' first game at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Bears were coming off a disappointing 2007 campaign, in which they finished 7-9, while the Colts had made the playoffs with a 13-3 record. The matchup was a rematch of Super Bowl 41, as many expected Indianapolis to cruise to an easy victory to open their new stadium. Against the Colts' offense that featured quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison, the Bears shocked the country as they defeated the Colts 29-13. Chicago avenged their Super Bowl 41 loss as they limited Manning to just one touchdown and scored nine points on defense. On offense, the Bears received a big game from then-rookie running back Matt Forte, who rushed for 123 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run.

One year later, in week 16 of the 2009 season, the Bears would pull another improbable upset in primetime, this time against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Against Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and the 11-win Vikings, the 5-win Bears won a shootout 36-30 in overtime. Bears' quarterback Jay Cutler passed for four touchdowns, including a game-winning 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devin Aromashodu in overtime. The upset victory by the Bears changed the NFC Playoffs as the Vikings lost home-field advantage to the Saints, which would later play a role in the Saints winning the Super Bowl later that year. From 2013 to 2015, Chicago would have an upset victory each season in a nationally televised game. In 2013, the Bears would defeat the Packers at Lambeau Field on Monday Night Football in a 27-20 final. The game is remembered as Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone following the Packers' first offensive drive of the game. A year later, an injured Bears' team would defeat the San Francisco 49ers 28-20 in a Sunday Night Football contest in week two. The 49ers were opening up their new stadium and had played in back-to-back NFC Championship games. The victory was Chicago's first in San Francisco since 1985. Finally, in 2015, the Bears upset the Packers at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving night as they won 17-13.

The most recent memorable upset the Bears came three years ago in 2018 when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. Heading into the game, the Rams had the best offense in football, and although the Bears had one of the best defenses in the NFL, they had yet to face a difficult test. Chicago won the game 15-6 as Rams quarterback Jared Goff was sacked three times and intercepted four times. It was a statement win for the Bears, as many viewed them as a legitimate Super Bowl contender following the upset victory.

A Win Against The Packers On Sunday Would Be One Of the Biggest In Recent Memory

It is unlikely that the Bears can pull off a win on the road against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but if they do, it could be one of the biggest in franchise history. The Packers are in contention for home-field advantage for the number one playoff spot in the NFC Playoffs, while the Bears are all but eliminated from playoff contention. Green Bay is coming off of a bye week, in which they will be getting several of their top defensive players back, while the Bears are coming off a terrible 33-22 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Leading up to Sunday's game, everything appears to be in the Packers' favor. The Bears' offense will get a boost as rookie quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver Allen Robinson return from injuries that have sidelined them for the last few weeks. It will be intriguing to see what improvements Fields makes after missing the Bears' previous two games. Chicago's defense will be without Pro Bowl defensive end Akiem Hicks, but he is the only significant defensive player out for the game, outside of All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack.

An upset victory over the rival Packers would be the Bears' signature win of the 2021 season, given the circumstances of their last game. Chicago could avenge their week 6 loss to Green Bay, in which Rodgers screamed "I own you" to Bears' fans in attendance following a touchdown. If there is ever a time for an upset, it would be now as Sunday's game is in primetime, and many of the Bears' most significant upset victories have come in primetime.