Weird stuff always seems to happen when the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers meet during a season. Two weeks ago, people were shocked at the poor state of Lambeau Field, which was slippery and chunky despite a strong reputation for quality. Some wondered if the team's groundscrew decided to ease up on the work to prepare the field for the game, giving the Packers a true home field advantage by knowing what cleats to wear on such a bad surface. Well, maybe the Bears decided to retaliate.
An interesting development took place on the Green Bay sidelines during the first half of the rematch at Soldier Field. Reports came out that the Packers' heaters weren't functional, meaning players had no way to stay warm. It wasn't certain what happened. Tom Brady spoke about it on the broadcast, admitting that in his 22-year career, that had never happened to him, and he played in lots of cold-weather games. Either the machines involved were on their last legs or had been tampered with.
The Green Bay Packers have weathered the cold thus far.
They used a grinding offensive approach and a strong defensive game plan to hold a 6-0 lead at halftime. Unfortunately, it cost them Jordan Love, who left the game with a concussion and will not return. Still, you'd expect the Packers offense to be more explosive than this since they have most of their key players aside from tackle Zach Tom. Both teams have displayed strong defense in the red zone. This will come down to who can deliver the most big plays and who has the mental fortitude to persevere.
The Green Bay Packers are desperate. This season was supposed to be their first window at a Super Bowl run. Now they're trying to keep it alive without star pass rusher Micah Parsons. They already dealt with Detroit. A win in Chicago all but cements their grip on the NFC North and guarantees a home game in the postseason. Unfortunately, it's coming at a price. The sideline heater situation is merely a distraction. Whether it was intentional or not doesn't matter. They have no time to investigate.
