The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers are squaring off in a massive matchup in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. While it's the 2 seed versus the 7 seed, it's going to be a very close matchup.
After some incredible matchups this season, Bears-Packers is going to be a close one. That will make every little issue become all the more important, and it's why the refereeing issue for this weekend is a big deal.
As ESPN's Kevin Seifert points out, the Bears face the disadvantage in this matchup thanks to Referee Adrian Hill and their own issues this season with penalties.
Bears face troubling referee issue vs. Packers
"Referee Adrian Hill missed two games because of a leg injury, but overall, his crew threw the second-most flags among the 17 crews (17.9)," Seifert writes. "The Bears led the NFL with nine flags for roughing the passer, four more than the next team, but Hill's crew called only three such penalties."
Hill's crew calls some of the most penalties in the NFL, and in this matchup against the Packers, where one play can have a huge impact on the game, these penalties might come to haunt the Bears.
Green Bay won't be spared either, but it's still an issue that the Bears might have a tougher time dealing with, especially if they ramp up their calling of roughing the passer penalties.
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While Seifert does mention that the Bears are the most penalized team for roughing the passer, which could become a major issue for Chicago in this matchup, Hill's crew does't call many such penalties.
Despite Hill's crew being one of the most penalty-happy in the league, the area where the Bears are most likely to spell their own doom with penalties is a penalty not often called by the officiating crew.
There is an overall concern with Hill's crew, and their second-most penalties this season, but for the Bears, it might not be the worst situation.
Barring Hill's crew changing their tune on roughing the passer penalties, the Bears shouldn't be as hurt by their tendencies this season against the Packers Saturday night.
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