A brand new 2019 NFL season will kick off with one of the league's most storied rivalries.
For the 199th time, the聽听补苍诲听聽will collide and this time it will be in the NFL's annual Thursday Night Kickoff.
罢丑别听聽will host the聽聽in an NFC North showdown at 8:20 p.m. EST on Sept. 5 on NBC to begin the NFL's 100th season. The reigning聽听肠丑补尘辫颈辞苍听聽will also host the Sunday Night Football Week 1 contest against a team to be determined. This will be the first year since 2003 in which the defending聽聽winner will not play in the season opener.
Green Bay leads the all-time series -- which began with Chicago's 20-0 shutout on Nov. 27, 1921 -- by a slim 97-95-6 margin.
En route to claiming the NFC North title, the聽聽won the last meeting, 24-17, but the聽聽won the teams' first 2018 tussle. It will mark the second year in a row in which the teams square off in Week 1, with last season's 24-23聽聽victory featuring a comeback for the ages as an injured聽聽reemerged to spoil聽'蝉听听诲别产耻迟.
Chicago, under reigning coach of the year Matt Nagy, will be looking to prove its 2018 turnaround from worst to first wasn't a fluke as the Mack-led defense features returning difference-makers聽,听,听听补苍诲听. Former first-round pick聽's development at quarterback will also be a continuing storyline as he toes the line with Rodgers.
Rodgers helped the聽聽to seven consecutive triumphs at Soldier Field before last season's loss.
More important than the rivalry histrionics for the聽, though, will be the debut of a new-look team trying to get back to the franchise that once ruled the north. In the aftermath of a 6-9-1 showing in which the Pack missed the postseason for the second year in a row, Green Bay will begin a new era under rookie head coach Matt LaFleur. 罢丑别听聽will also feature a trio of high-profile free agents in edge rushers聽Za'Darius Smith听补苍诲听聽and safety聽聽-- a former Bear. In addition, it will also be the first time in a longtime that Green Bay will have a roster without linebacker聽聽(signed by the Rams) and receiver聽聽(signed with the Cowboys).
It is the league's oldest and most-played rivalry. It's a division showdown. It's a star-studded showcase.
It's a great way to kick off the 2019 season.