The Chicago Bears were a disappointing crew last season, and they resolved themselves to make some positive moves to change the atmosphere around a little. And they have done just that. In fact, they made the biggest news of the pre-season from a personnel standpoint, and there can't be any question as to their commitment to winning. On Sunday night they'll take on the Green Bay Packers in an NFC North matchup that begins at 8:20 PM ET at Lambeau Field on NBC.

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The Bears didn't make very much progress under John Fox, and the general feeling is that his act was getting stale. So they brought in a fresh face in Matt Nagy, who was the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs. Nagy won't bring the same exact approach he had with the Chiefs, but will emphasize a lot in the way of run-pass options. This requires different technique on the part of the offensive linemen, of course, but there are also great possibilities for a capable backfield, which consists of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. And Chicago probably has a better crew of receivers than they've had in the last few years, and one of those guys is promising rookie Anthony Miller.

In the Sunday night football odds that have been posted on this game at BetAnySports, the Packers are favored by a full touchdown:

Green Bay Packers -7 (-105)
Chicago Bears +7 (-115)

Over 46.5 points -110
Under 46.5 points -110

Were Green Bay's chances in the NFC North enhanced with the acquisition of Jimmy Graham? Maybe; Rodgers has not often used a tight end as a main weapon, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't do it. And Graham could easily have more rapport with Rodgers than he did with Russell Wilson. But Rodgers will miss Jordy Nelson, and he was vocal about his trade to Oakland. Green Bay is also forever looking for a running game, and they'll most likely be looking at the "committee" approach.

Mitchell Trubisky, last year's second overall draft pick, got his indoctrination quicker than expected. And he'll be operating against a new Green Bay defensive coordinator (Mike Pettine, who was head coach of the Browns a couple of years ago) and a couple of rookies - Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson - who could be playing prominent roles.

Chicago's defense was in the top ten last season in both yardage and points allowed, and they have upgraded it, to say the least. Linebacker Roquan Smith was drafted in the first round, and after a holdout, he signed his deal late in camp. An even bigger event was the trade that brought Khalil Mack from the Raiders in exchange for a package that included two first-round draft picks. Neither Smith nor Mack will see full-time duty, but you can bet that artful defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will find some spots to insert them and wreak a little havoc.

We're not saying that the Bears are going to be a contender in the NFC North, but they are closer than they were before. And they have enough to make this one tight.

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