November 6, 2014
The Green Bay Packers look to get back to their winning ways against the Chicago Bears this week on Sunday Night Football. The Packers are coming off a bye week after they got demoralized on the road against the New Orleans Saints. Chicago is also coming off a bye week and a loss. The Bears lost their last game, 51-23 to the Patriots. A win for the Packers could put them in a tie at the top of the NFC North with Detroit while Chicago looks to climb out of the basement of the NFC North after two straight losses.
The Bears-Packers rivalry is the most played game in the history of football. The Bears lead the overall series 93-90-6 in their 189 regular and postseason matchups, which dates back to 1921. The Packers have dominated this rivalry recently, winning 10 of the last 12 matchups dating back to September 2009.
According to TicketIQ, the average price for Packers vs Bears tickets is currently $256.13 on the secondary market, 13.7% above the season average for Packers tickets at home this season. The get-in price for the game is $135, which is the third most expensive get-in price for all remaining Packers games this year. In the last five Chicago-Green Bay matchups at Lambeau Field, ticket prices have been above the season average for Packers tickets and usually in this price range.
Since the 2010 season, Bears games at Lambeau Field have required more funds than normal for Packers fans. In their January 2nd matchup in 2011, the game had a secondary market average price of $255.93 and a get-in price of $150. Normal Packers games at Lambeau averaged $182.89 during the 2010 season. Packers fans got their money's worth in that game as Green Bay clinched a playoff berth with a 10-3 win. The Packers went on to win the Super Bowl that season. The following year, Packers fans flooded Lambeau Field on Christmas day to see Aaron Rodgers throw five touchdowns in a 35-21 win that clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Fans paid a secondary market average price of $258.60 (average home game commanded $271.17 in 2011) and a get-in price of $146. That Bears loss also ensured they wouldn't be going to the playoffs in the 2011 season. The Packers' home opener in 2012 had a get-in price of $189 and a secondary market average price of $320.12, which was way above the $198.68 average for games at Lambeau Field in 2012. Again, the Packers defeated the Bears, 23-10, despite Aaron Rodgers only throwing for 219 yards and one touchdown. Prices dropped last year when the Bears came to town for a November 4th matchup. Despite it being a Monday night matchup, it was not memorable for its quarterback play. Jay Cutler missed the game due to injury and Aaron Rodgers had two passes in the game after he was ruled out of the game after the first series of the game. Rodgers injured his left shoulder after being sacked, which kept Rodgers out until the final game of December (the Packers defeated the Bears in Chicago). The average price of the 2013 matchup in Green Bay commanded $202.86 from fans, while the get-in price was $97.
The bye week was much needed for Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, who pulled his left hamstring in the third quarter of Green Bay's loss to the Saints. Rodgers threw two interceptions in the game, which is double the amount of picks he threw in his first seven games. Rodgers, who turns 31 in December, has a 40-10 record at Lambeau Field and is 10-3 against the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, Jay Cutler is 1-9 against the Packers in his career. History is certainly against Cutler and the Bears in this week's matchup but if Rodgers isn't 100 percent healthy, the Bears could pull off a massive upset and keep their playoff hopes alive in the 190th meeting between these two franchises.
