The Bears return to action Sunday against the Packers after their bye week ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in several team and individual categories. Here's how they stack up:
Offense
- Sixth in rushing yards (130.1). The Bears, who slipped two spots during their bye week, trail only the Jaguars, Cowboys, Eagles, Texans and Rams. The Bears have ranked in the top-10 in rushing yards the past four weeks. On Sunday they'll face a Packers defense that ranks 25th overall and 23rd against the run.
- Tenth in rushing yards per carry (4.3). The running game has been buoyed by four runs of at least 46 yards this season: Jordan Howard rushes of 53 yards in Baltimore and 50 yards in New Orleans; a Mitchell Trubisky 46-yard scramble in New Orleans; and a 46-yard run by Tarik Cohen in the season opener against the Falcons.
Bears running back Jordan Howard runs through a Panthers tackle.
Defense
- Eighth in total yards allowed (312.0). The Bears trail only the Panthers, Broncos, Jaguars, Vikings, Steelers, Bengals and Ravens. The Bears have already played four of those teams, which may be part of the reason they rank only 29th in total offense.
- Tenth in yards per play (5.0). The Bears slipped one spot during their bye week, barely remaining in the top-10. They'll face a Packers offense Sunday that ranks 23rd in the NFL in total yards and is missing future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is sidelined indefinitely with a broken collarbone.
- Tied for ninth in sacks (23). The teams ahead of the Bears are the Jaguars, Panthers, Cowboys, Steelers, Chargers, Rams, Eagles and Vikings.
- Eighth in yards allowed on first down plays (4.7 yards). The only teams ahead of the Bears are the Ravens, Steelers, Browns, Eagles, Bengals, Seahawks and Cowboys.
- Ninth in red-zone touchdown percentage (48.1). The Bears have allowed 13 touchdowns on 27 red-zone trips this season. After permitting 11 TDs on 20 possessions over their first five games, they have yielded only two TDs on seven drives the past two contests.
Individual players
- Running back Jordan Howard
* Fifth in rushing yards (662). The second-year pro trails the Chiefs' Kareem Hunt (800), the Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott (783), the Steelers' Le'Veon Bell (760) and the Rams' Todd Gurley (686).
* Ninth in yards from scrimmage (740). Howard has rushed for 662 yards on 162 carries and caught 14 passes for 78 yards.
* Tied for seventh in first downs (38). Howard has picked up 36 first downs rushing and two receiving.
* Akiem Hicks
* Tied for 10th in sacks (7.0). Hicks has matched his career high set last season with the Bears.
* Pat O'Donnell
* Sixth in gross punting (48.2). O'Donnell also averaged 48.2 yards last year, which was his best average in four seasons with the Bears.