5 Questions with ACME Packing Company: Thumb up or thumb down?

I suspect the Packers are clinging to the idea that they’re better than the Bears so tightly because the rest of the ego-validating layers of their identity are quickly being stripped away and everyone is terrified of what may reside at its core.

That’s fair.

In anticipation of Packers week, we get some juice on our freefalling foes from Justis Mosqueda at ACME Packing Co.

1. Aaron Rodgers thumb this week: just an ouchy or terminal?

It seems like the ribs are going to be a bigger issue than the thumb. He downplayed how hurt he was earlier in the season, but it’s since come out that he’s been playing with it broken. On the scale of ouchy to terminal, I’m leaning ouchy here.

2. The Packers defense looks pretty good on paper. It hasn’t always looked good on grass. Or turf. What’s behind their struggles?

They had 22 missed tackles against the Philadelphia Eagles per head coach Matt LaFleur, so that’s a good place to start. Inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell should play in his first game in a month in this game, but the tackling performances by the team have been bad as of late. Stopping the run has been a struggle for the team all season.

3. How many more career touchdowns will Jordan Love throw to Christian Watson?

Honestly, I think Packers fans are excited about what they’ve seen out of Love this year and in the preseason. I think Green Bay will be out of “the hunt” in the final two weeks of the year and we get a little bit of a look at Love, so I’ll say at least one more. I think the assumption right now is that Rodgers will come back next year, just based on how he’s talked about the situation.

4. Many Bears fans are hoping the Bears lose because of the value they could get for the 2nd overall pick. I get it, but it’s not fun. I say, next year the Bears and Packers swap their first round picks so your pick gets worse when we win and our pick gets better when you lose. Deal?

No deal! If the Steelers got to choose out of our original picks for the Chase Claypool trade then we gotta stick to it.

5. It’s not clear if Fields is playing as I write this, and Packers are 4.5 point road favorites. It seems Rodgers will likely play, but the way thumbzilla has been looking, we’ll call either quarterback even. Who do you think wins if Fields plays and if he doesn’t?

I think it’s Green Bay either way but I am much more worried if Fields is in the game, just because of the threat of the running quarterback. The Packers allowed over 100 rushing yards to quarterback Jalen Hurst last week in a single quarter, so I’m hoping that Fields doesn’t do that to us on Sunday.

For those who didn’t care to follow the terms of my trade offer to Justis, let’s just say it would be smart for him to take it if he believed the Packers would win more games than the Bears next year. He didn’t take it. Looks like we’re all on the same page about the direction of these franchises.

As always, our friends over at DraftKings Sportsbook have you covered for this game and all the week’s NFL action.