Bears Vs. Packers 2018: NFL Season Begins With Huge Game

GREEN BAY, WI - Excitement runs high in both Chicago and Green Bay for the Bears-Packers NFL season opener at Lambeau Field on Sunday. For the Bears, it's the dawning of a new era as Matt Nagy will coach his first regular season game and Mitchell Trubisky will begin his first full season as the team's starting quarterback. Up north, the coach-QB combo is the same as it has been in years, but Packer fans have renewed energy knowing that Aaron Rodgers is healthy again after missing most of last season with an injury.

If you're a die-hard Chicago Bears fan, you might be wondering how the Bears can get out of Green Bay with a win. Illinois Patch editor Tim Moran has come up with 5 things to watch for in Sunday night's game from the Chicago sidelines:

5 Things To Look For

1. Will Khalil Mack play, be effective immediately? The Bears may have waited until the last minute to make their big offseason splash, but it looks like stud defender Khalil Mack, recently acquired in a trade with the Raiders, may be ready for the Week 1 showdown. It will be interesting to see how effective he can be with a minimal amount of time to prepare.

2. True test for Trubisky: Since this is Bears QB Mitch Trubisky's first full season as the team's starter, the opener will loom large as the first truly meaningful game he plays in as a Bear.

3. How to stop Rodgers? Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been a Bear killer his whole career. An improved Chicago defense will have a chance to show its worth against the best in the game.

4. How will Nagy fare in a big game? Matt Nagy will make his NFL head coaching debut, so we will see if his big-game decision making reminds Bears fans of Marc Trestman, John Fox or, preferably, neither.

5. Something memorable: This is the oldest, and best, rivalry in the NFL. Both Illinoisans and Wisconsinites can at least agree on that. The rivalry also brings out some memorable moments, like William "The Refrigerator" Perry's touchdown on a MNF game in 1985, a downpour on Halloween when the Bears honored greats Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus and in 1999, when Bryan Robinson blocked a FG to give the Bears an upset victory over their rivals to the north in the days after Walter Payton died. Look for an iconic moment like one of those to come up in this one too.

Prediction: Bears 21, Packers 17 - Fresh faces bring in a new era with an upset win in Week 1.

Green Bay Packers Numerical Roster

Chicago Bears Numerical Roster

How to Follow the Game:

Game Time: 7:20 p.m. CT, Sunday, Sept. 9.

TV: NBC (Sunday Night Football)

Radio: WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM

Wisconsin Patch Editor Scott Anderson contributed to this report.

Photo via Patch archive / Tim Moran