(Sports Network) - It's official. The swagger is gone from Wisconsin.

Understandably shaken by the offseason trade of their franchise's signature face, Green Bay Packers fans entered the 2008 schedule grasping at the straws of hope for continued success.

But, following two straight wins to open said schedule, the strut was back in Cheesehead Land.

And even after a roller coaster ride over the subsequent five weeks - a three- game losing streak that quickly transformed into two more pre-bye week victories - the bandwagon hadn't lost a rider.

These days, however, there may be a mass reach for the safety lap belts.

New savior Aaron Rodgers and Co. came out of the one-week break in particularly gut-wrenching form, dropping a three-point OT verdict at Tennessee seven days before a one-point loss at Minnesota.

Put it all together and it spells 4-5 though nine games, third in the division they ruled just a season ago and - staring at a visit from first-place Chicago this week - already on the edge of the postseason abyss.

"There are seven games left. There is still a lot of time left," Rodgers said. "We still have to play Chicago twice and play Detroit one more time. We just need to do the things that we are capable of doing."

Maybe so, but they'll have to do it without one of their best.

Linebacker Nick Barnett suffered a torn knee ligament early in the third quarter of the game with the Vikings and will miss the rest of the season.

Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said the injury will require surgery, though a date hasn't been set yet.

Barnett started all 16 games for the Packers last year and topped the club with 131 tackles in addition to 3 1/2 sacks and two interceptions.

He made five tackles in the Minnesota game and has a team-high 49 this year.

Speaking of defense, it surely was not the problem in Chicago last week.

The home-standing Bears stared victory square in the face against unbeaten Tennessee at Soldier Field, holding one of the league's top rush units to just 20 yards on 29 carries.

The letdowns came while trying to stop things through the air, however, as Titans veteran Kerry Collins went for 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 21-14 triumph.

"(The) defensive side of the ball did a good job of stopping the run," coach Lovie Smith said. "You want to make a team one-dimensional, but from there you have to make some plays in the passing game and we weren't able to do that."

Linebacker Lance Briggs agreed.

"We did our job. We stood up when we were supposed to, but obviously, it wasn't enough today," he said. "We just didn't get it done."

Things were contagious for Chicago on the offensive side of the ball - as engineered by substitute quarterback and former Super Bowl starter Rex Grossman.

After leading a 14-play, 75-yard scoring drive to start the game, Grossman went on to throw for 173 yards with a touchdown pass to running back Matt Forte.

He was also intercepted once and ran for a score as well.

"At the end of the football game we were in a position to win, so with Rex there that's what we were able to do," Smith said.

"You have to let him work through some of the things - and there were a lot of things going on. Rex had a little bit to do with it some of the time, but there were so many things that we could have done to help ourselves."

SERIES HISTORY

Chicago holds a 89-79-6 advantage in the NFL's most-played series, which dates back to the 1921 season, and dealt the Packers two of their three losses during a 13-3 campaign in 2007. The Bears took a 27-20 win at Lambeau Field when the teams met in Week 5, and crushed the Pack by a 35-7 count at Soldier Field in Week 16. Green Bay's most recent win in the series took place in Chicago to end the 2006 season. The Bears are 4-0 at Lambeau Field since last losing there in 2003.

For all their storied history together, the teams have met just once in the postseason, a 33-14 Bears victory in a 1941 NFL Playoff.

Smith is 6-2 versus the Packers as a head coach, while Green Bay's McCarthy is 1-3 against both Smith and Chicago.

WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL

Should his dinged-up ankle be sufficiently healed for him to play, Bears QB Kyle Orton can improve on a 2-0 career mark against the Packers. He had a 103.2 passer rating in the last meeting between the teams, and the Bears are 4-0 when Orton has reached triple-digits for a single game. Rookie Forte leads the NFL's first-year players with 995 scrimmage yards and 49 first downs. He is the league's only player with three or more rushing (4) and receiving (3) TDs. Forte also has a team-high 37 receptions and is one of two backs to lead a team in both categories. Among Chicago players, he's on pace to join Hall of Famer Walter Payton (1978, 1983) and Neal Anderson as only Bears with 1,000 rush yards and 50 catches in a single season. Elsewhere, jack-of-all-trades Devin Hester had an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown in a September 2006 meeting with the Packers, and tight end Desmond Clark aims for a third game in a row against Green Bay with a TD. The Bears are averaging 323.6 yards per game and have a plus-6 turnover margin that's tied for second-best in the NFC.

For the Packers, defensive end Aaron Kampman has 12 sacks in his past 12 games against division foes and 34 sacks overall since 2006, the second-most in the NFL. He leads the team through nine games this season with 6.5. Safety Nick Collins had a 59-yard interception return for a TD last week and tied Hall of Famer Herb Adderly for most interception/touchdowns by Packer in season with three. In their past eight games, Collins (3 INT-TDs) and cornerback Charles Woodson (2) each have five interceptions, tying them for the top spot in the NFL. Collins had two INTs, including a 55-yarder for a touchdown in the teams' Dec. 31, 2006 meeting, while Woodson has three INTs and a fumble recovery in his past five matchups with the Bears. Elsewhere, cornerback Tramon Williams has four interceptions in his past six games, and cornerback/punt returner Will Blackmon had a 65-yard punt return-TD last week against Minnesota. As a unit, the Packers are allowing 333.7 yards per game.

WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL

In his first taste of NFC North Division competition, QB Rodgers has fared admirably, completing 57-of-86 passes for 648 yards, four touchdowns and a 104.2 passer rating. In the teams' last meeting, Green Bay running back Ryan Grant rushed for 100 yards, including a 66-yard TD. When Grant has 19 or more attempts in a game, the Packers are 8-1. Through the air, veteran wideout Donald Driver has a reception in 104 consecutive games, the longest streak in team history. Fellow wide receiver Greg Jennings has 19 career TD catches, including 10 for 40-plus yards. He had a 41-yard TD against Chicago the last time the Bears played at Lambeau. Overall, Jennings has 14 catches for 295 yards in three division contests this year. As a unit, the Packers are averaging 319.6 yards per game and are carrying a plus-7 turnover margin that's tops in the NFC.

Maintaining pressure and forcing mistakes from the still-young Rodgers will go a long way toward determining how successful the Bears are in stopping the Green Bay attack. Linebacker Brian Urlacher aims for his third straight game against the Pack with an interception, including an 85-yard TD return in the last meeting. Defensive end Alex Brown has a sack in four of the past five meetings between the teams, and leads the Bears for the season with three. He had a sack and an interception in his last game against the Packers. Also, tackle Tommie Harris had a sack in his last game at Lambeau, and Briggs has two career interceptions against Green Bay, both of which were returned for touchdowns. Overall, the Bears are allowing 326.7 yards per game.

FANTASY FOCUS

Typical of a matchup between two conservative, defensive-oriented teams, neither is chock full of go-to offensive numbers producers. But if one team were to hold an advantage in star power with the ball, it'd be the Packers. Provided he stays upright and can throw the ball to his own teammates, Rodgers could produce well with Driver and Jennings again, while freeing up things for the slashing Grant. For the Bears, neither Orton nor Grossman inspires a terrible amount of confidence, though Forte might very well be the best weapon on either team. Defensively, the Bears are a shut-down team, while the Packers thrive on producing mistakes, namely interceptions. Either is a good play.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

As the records and past results prove, there's not a lot to separate these two teams. A point or two here...a game or two in the standings there. So, with little else to go by, the team in more desperate need of a win becomes the logical bet. A loss by the Packers here would put them two games off the pace of the division leader with an ominous trip to Chicago still on the schedule during Christmas week. A win keeps them no worse than a game out - provided Minnesota wins at Tampa Bay - and would put them ahead of the Bears, at least temporarily, in terms of tie-breakers.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Packers 21, Bears 17