The gulf between Aaron Rodgers and Mike Glennon is as wide as the Atlantic Ocean.

In Week 3, the Bears pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the budding 2017 NFL season by beating the Steelers in overtime. They’ll have the chance to shock the league again when they take on their NFC North rival Packers on Thursday Night Football. This game will be televised at 8:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network and CBS, as well as be the first of the games available to be streamed on Amazon Prime.

Chicago found a way to beat Pittsburgh despite one of the league’s least powerful passing offenses. Mike Glennon threw for just 101 yards — a meager 4.6 yards per pass — as the Steelers took away his deep options and forced checkdowns throughout the afternoon. Fortunately, the Bears are built to handle stifling passing defenses thanks to the strength of two young tailbacks.

Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen have emerged as a deadly duo in Chicago, carving up opposing defenses despite being their team’s only real offensive threats. On Sunday, the pair combined for 216 rushing yards on 35 carries against a Steelers defense that steadily crept closer and closer to the line of scrimmage, and they could have an easier matchup in primetime. Green Bay’s beleaguered linebackers have allowed opponents to rush for 4.5 yards per carry this fall, a mark that ranks just 25th in the league.

The Packers may not have to worry about their defense if Aaron Rodgers is on point. The two-time MVP led a victory over the Bengals last week to give him a win over every NFL team but the one that employs him, but it wasn’t easy. A bad Cincinnati team took a 24-17 lead into the game’s final two minutes before Rodgers marched downfield for a tying touchdown strike to Jordy Nelson with 17 seconds left. His 72-yard pass to Geronimo Allison in overtime set up the game-winning kick that improved his team to 2-1.

A healthy Nelson will help Rodgers. Without his top wideout, Rodgers sputtered through a Week 2 loss to the Falcons. He connected with Nelson for a pair of touchdown passes last week in what was his most efficient game of the 2017 season so far.

He’ll have to hope for some support from his ground game against a Bears team with a solid defense. Ty Montgomery has been a useful piece in the passing game, but the former wideout has averaged just 3 yards per carry in his first three games. If he can soften up the Chicago defense, he’ll give Rodgers the flexibility to make some highlight-reel plays downfield.

Pregame reading

• If you give Aaron Rodgers a stupid play from the sideline, he’s gonna let you know about it.
• Aaron Rodgers wants Packers fans to join the team in linking arms during national anthem.

"This is about equality," Rodgers said Tuesday. "This is about unity and love and growing together as a society and starting a conversation around something that may be a little bit uncomfortable for people.”

• Chicago will be without veteran safety Quintin Demps after he suffered a broken arm in Week 3.

Demps, 32, had 12 tackles in three games before breaking his arm against the Steelers and hadn't yet flashed the playmaking ballhawk ability Chicago originally signed him away from the Houston Texans for. Nevertheless, his loss and veteran presence will undoubtedly be felt, at least in the short term, as swing safety Adrian Amos will now step in next to rookie safety Eddie Jackson.

• Rodgers finally got his win over the Bengals, and he did it in dramatic fashion.

The Packers pulled it off, but most of regulation was tough sledding for Green Bay.

Part of the challenge for Rodgers was that the Bengals were able to sack him six times. Green Bay had Kyle Murphy filling in for starting left tackle David Bakhtiari. Brian Bulaga, the starting right tackle, was active, but left the game with an ankle injury.

• Chicago’s run game could make Bears’ play-action play-calling extremely valuable against Green Bay.

The lone Mike Glennon touchdown pass was off play action. There was also a head-scratcher that resulted in a sack. The bigger question, though, is why not use it more when your rushing attack is so good? The Bears rushed 38 times for 220 yards, and that includes a few snafus by Glennon.