GREEN BAY Bryce Callahan Color Rush Jersey , Wis. (AP) — A blockbuster deal brought a new wrinkle to the NFL’s oldest rivalry.The Chicago Bears visit Lambeau Field on Sunday night, just in time for star pass-rusher Khalil Mack to potentially make his debut in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers.A premier player joins what figures to be an already tough defense. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks can’t hide his glee.“When we got him, I was just so excited just to have such a prolific pass-rusher next to me. It’s going to be phenomenal,” Hicks said.He led the Bears last year with a career-high 8½ sacks. Mack is second in the NFL since 2015 with 36½ sacks. Promising third-year player Leonard Floyd, a 2016 first-round draft pick, will line up at the outside linebacker spot opposite Mack.This could spell trouble for offensive lines.“You usually have to game-plan around him, and then when you game-plan around somebody, regardless of what position it is, then there’s an advantage somewhere else,” coach Matt Nagy said. “That gives the advantage to other players on defense, so those guys need to step up when given opportunities.”The Packers looked into trading for Mack. Now they have to face him.“Yeah, I was lying in bed scrolling through Twitter like, ‘Dang, man. Gotta see him twice a year now Josh Bellamy Jersey ,” Packers receiver Randall Cobb said about his reaction to the Bears’ deal for Mack.The primary responsibility for blocking Mack will fall to veteran right tackle Bryan Bulaga , who will be playing his first game since tearing his right ACL in November. At least Bulaga has had some time on the practice field this preseason, unlike Mack, who held out before being traded by the Oakland Raiders.He might get some help at times from the Packers’ deep tight end group, reinforced during the offseason with the additions of free agent Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis to join veteran Lance Kendricks.They’ll be tasked to give enough time to the ultimate equalizer: quarterback Aaron Rodgers.It just wasn’t clear if Mack would be ready to play this week, though Hicks sure seemed pretty confident that his new teammate would be on the field.“Well, that’s a really good player in his prime,” Rodgers said about Mack. “They obviously gave up some picks, but it just adds to the rivalry now that we get to see him twice a year.”Other notes and things to watch for the game:GRAHAM’S DEBUT: Graham, who signed as a free agent from Seattle, has already shown chemistry with Rodgers. The 6-foot-7 tight end could offer an enticing target especially in the red zone . Defenses may have to decide whether to pay more attention to Graham over the middle or receiver Davante Adams on the outside.“He can do it all over the field,” Rodgers said of Graham. “He’s got a wide, wide catch radius and there are a lot of things he can do.”TAKE TWO: The Bears made big moves in the offseason to get the most out of prized quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Whether he can deliver remains to be seen .“Everything that I saw and went through last year is going to help make me more comfortable this year,” Trubisky said.Trubisky threw for 2 https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/Anthony-Miller-Jersey ,193 yards in 12 games last season after Chicago traded up a spot to draft him with the No. 2 overall pick. But he also had as many interceptions as touchdown passes while compiling a 77.5 rating that was about the same as Mike Glennon’s (76.9).ON THE CORNER: The Packers revamped their cornerback group in the offseason, bringing back veteran Tramon Williams while taking rookies Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson with their first two picks in the draft. They’ve shown playmaking promise in training camp. Last year’s second-round pick, Kevin King, is also healthy again after missing time during his rookie year with a shoulder injury. The 6-foot-5 King has the length and speed to play press coverage on the edge.ROBINSON RETURNS: The Bears are counting on Trubisky to make big gains in first-year coach Nagy’s offense. They also gave him some new options, including former Jacksonville Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson. He returns to the field after tearing his left ACL in his left knee during last year’s opener with Jaguars. Signed by the Bears in March, Robinson did not catch pass in the preseason.MILESTONES: The NFC North rivalry goes back to 1921, with Green Bay holding a 96-94-6 edge. The game will also open up the 100th season in the history of the Packers. The Bears are opening their 99th season. LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Coach Matt Nagy is saving the big celebrations for later.He opted instead to spend “quality time” at home with his four sons, ate sushi, consumed “one beverage” and kept his eyes on the prizes still out there after the Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North.One he would love, though it probably won’t come gift-wrapped: A first-round bye.“You wanna ask me if I want the first-round bye, or the No. 1 seed? Absolutely, give it to me right now,” he said.The Bears completed their worst-to-first turnaround by securing their first division title and playoff appearance in eight years.Even better Sherrick McManis Color Rush Jersey , they did it by beating Aaron Rodgers and the rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday. But if they’re going to land a top-two seed and first-round bye, they still have some climbing to do.The Bears are third in the NFC behind the South champion New Orleans Saints and West champion Los Angeles Rams with two games to play. They visit San Francisco this week before closing the regular season at Minnesota.“It’s OK to celebrate and enjoy last night and yesterday,” Nagy said on Monday. “But we have bigger things that we’re trying to achieve. And I think that’s going to be the biggest challenge for us where we’re at is understanding, OK, we accomplished a good goal but that’s not enough.”The Bears (10-4) simply need a strong finish and some help.They trail New Orleans (12-2) by two games after the Saints beat Carolina 12-9 on Monday night and are one back of the Rams (11-3), though Chicago defeated Los Angeles on Dec. 9. The Bears are also two games up on NFC East leader Dallas.“There’s the ability for us to be, basically, four different seeds,” Nagy said. “Some are slimmer than others. But take that into account, it makes it easy. You go play, and you play to win and nothing changes. You literally control what you can control.”The way things play out this week could determine whether Nagy keeps his foot on the gas or rests players — particularly those who are banged up — when the Bears visit Minnesota. But if seeds are at stake heading into the regular-season finale, he likely will go full speed.“Unless you’re locked in and you can’t move, then you have to decide,” Nagy said. “To me that’s when you have to decide what you want to do. But right now Charles Leno Jersey , we have to win.”Simply being in this position is a welcomed change for Chicago.The drought between playoff appearances claimed three coaches and led to shrinking crowds at Soldier Field.“This was for the fans, this was for the organization and we are glad that we were able to do it,” cornerback Prince Amukamara said.With the Bears winning the North, at least one NFL team in 15 of the past 16 seasons has finished in first place in its division the season after finishing last or tied for last place.Nagy is Chicago’s first rookie coach with 10 wins since George Halas in 1920, when the franchise was in its inaugural season. With a 7-1 record at Soldier Field, Chicago matched its home win total over three seasons under former coach John Fox.But as good as that all sounds, the Bears want more.“It hasn’t happened yet,” star pass rusher Khalil Mack said. “We just got the NFC North. We got that title so far. We want to get this push. We can’t really get caught up in all of that. We have two more games we have to win.”NOTES: Though both players were still being evaluated, Nagy said he doesn’t think the injuries to S Eddie Jackson (sprained right ankle) and LB Aaron Lynch (elbow) are season-ending. Jackson picked off a tipped pass intended for Jimmy Graham at the goal line late in Sunday’s game, then had to be helped off the field when his leg bent awkwardly as he tried to slide on the return. That play also ended Aaron Rodgers’ NFL-record streak of 402 attempts without an interception. Lynch walked off the field clutching his right arm after he was hurt fighting a block on a run by Jamaal Williams in the third quarter.