When the Bears signed guard Corbin Lacina five days before the season opener, he didn’t have to express contempt for the Green Bay Packers before agreeing to the deal. That simply comes as a bonus for the Bears.
“I’m not sure how it is here yet with the Packers, but it got to a point in Minnesota where we just flat-out hated each other,” said Lacina, a starter for the Vikings the previous four years.
The last time Lacina played Green Bay, on Dec. 8, the bad blood boiled over into a fourth-quarter brawl between the teams on the Vikings’ sideline.
“We had some real tough games with the Packers. It seemed like we were always coming down to the wire. We really didn’t like each other, that was genuine.”
Monday promises to be an emotional night for Lacina that will cap a draining month. His wife, Laura, and four children remain in Minneapolis and Lacina has flown home on his off days. He has been trying to balance those responsibilities while fitting into a new team that badly needed veteran stability on an unproven offensive line.
“It has been a lot, but I’m starting to feel a little more comfortable here every day,” Lacina said.
Lacina’s experience at left guard gives the Bears some options if lineman Terrence Metcalf eventually returns to the same level he had reached before breaking his left middle finger in early August. Metcalf has been working mostly at right guard behind Lacina, but if converted left guard Steve Edwards falters, Lacina easily could switch sides without losing a beat.
“I can play either way, right now on the right side, but I’m comfortable on the left,” Lacina said. “I’m just here to help.”
Numbers tell rivals’ story
How four key players have performed in Bears-Packers games:
Bears
Marty Booker
The Bears’ top receiver has averaged seven catches per game, one more than against the rest of the league.
Anthony Thomas
He broke his index finger, ending his season, in the first quarter of the second meeting last season. He’s still searching for his first big game against the Packers.
Packers
Brett Favre
The Packers quarterback has 8 TD passes and three interceptions against the Bears; against the rest of the league, he has thrown 51 TD passes and 28 interceptions.
Ahman Green
The Packers running back has averaged 4.7 yards per carry against the Bears the last two years, slightly better than his 4.5-yard career average, which is also his average for the last two years.
