Jay Cutler has 17 interceptions and a 65.1 passer rating in nine career regular-season games against the Green Bay Packers and has lost six straight games to them. Coming off two road wins on a national stage and facing a 1-2 Packers team that has struggled offensively, will Cutler turn his fortunes around against Green Bay?

Our panel weighs in on that and more:

Fact or Fiction: Jay Cutler will exorcise his Packers demons and turn in his best performance against Green Bay on Sunday.

Jeff Dickerson, ESPNChicago.com Bears reporter: Fact. It's time for Cutler to light up a Green Bay defense ranked No. 28 in points allowed (26.3) and No. 20 in total defense (354.3). Sure, the Bears will no doubt attack a soft Packers run defense (30th) with tailback Matt Forte, but when it's all said and done, the Bears win games by throwing the football. This is another big spot for Cutler. He's defeated the Packers one time (2010) since arriving in Chicago in 2009. The quarterback needs to exorcise the demons. Because if he can't beat the struggling Packers (1-2) at Soldier Field on Sunday, it's fair to wonder if he ever will.

Jon Greenberg, ESPNChicago.com columnist: Fact. Cutler's had a strong start to the season. Sure, he's had a half-dozen interceptions mishandled or dropped by opposing defenders, and yes, he's been the beneficiary of a takeaway-crazy defense, but Cutler has mostly played under control. He's won two national TV games in a row, but beating Green Bay for just the second time in his Bears career (he sat out last year's win with injury) would be a true "coming of age" moment for the not-so-young quarterback. I'm not sure the Bears win -- I see some defensive breakdowns on the horizon -- but I don't think it's because Cutler throws two picks and reverts back to Old Cutty. He's ready for this one. I think he is, anyway.

Fact or Fiction: The Packers are leveling off after so many personnel losses the past few years.

Aaron Rodgers is completing 62.7 percent of his passes and is averaging 6.83 yards per completion, both career lows since he became a starter. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Dickerson: Fact. This is especially true on offense, where the Packers badly miss tight end Jermichael Finley and wide receiver James Jones. To put it bluntly: Green Bay is short on playmakers in the passing game. Aaron Rodgers has next to nothing to work with at tight end, and the quarterback does not seem to have confidence in Nos. 3 and 4 wideouts Jarrett Boykin and Davante Adams. The calling card of most great teams is their depth. Green Bay appears to be short on it after three weeks of the regular season.

Greenberg: Fiction. They still have Rodgers, right? And he still has a few weapons at receiver in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. It's not like he's had the Seven Blocks of Granite blocking for him in the past. You can rebuild and reload quickly in the NFL, and as long as the Packers have Rodgers, they have a chance. This week's game will tell us a lot about both teams, and a Bears win will give them a decided edge in the NFC North. By their second meeting on Nov. 9, who knows what direction these teams will be heading, but I bet they're right next to each other in the standings.

Fact or Fiction: The Bears should pursue Champ Bailey, who has said he's open to also playing nickel or safety.

Veteran cornerback Champ Bailey, 36, says he's willing to play nickel or safety if it will land him an NFL job. AP Photo/Bill Haber

Dickerson: Fact. Why not? General manager Phil Emery has never been afraid to bring in a high-profile veteran player for a workout. What's the harm in investigating Bailey? Worst-case scenario (if Bailey agrees to visit a team before agreeing to a contract) would be that the Bears determine Bailey is done and take a pass. Best-case scenario: Bailey convinces the Bears he is healthy and still capable of playing in the league. I don't dislike Isaiah Frey at nickel. Frey impressed me by his willingness to play through a broken hand last season. He's not a bad open in the slot now that Kyle Fuller is outside full time. But Frey has zero career interceptions and Bailey has 52. He's worth a look.

Greenberg: Fiction. Bailey's never played safety, and while he'd be helpful at nickel, if healthy, it seems more like chasing a big name than a solution to the Bears' lack of secondary depth following Charles Tillman's season-ending injury. There is no sentimentality in this game. Bailey, 36, has been battling foot problems, and his inability to showcase himself in camp with New Orleans led to his release, just months after Denver bade farewell to the 12-time Pro Bowler. It wouldn't hurt for the Bears to kick the tires here, but Bailey's not the answer right now.

Fact or Fiction: There's reason to be concerned that Jared Allen isn't who the Bears thought he was.

Jared Allen is still looking for his first sack as a Bear. David Banks/Getty Images

Dickerson: Fiction. Give it time. The Bears credited Allen with seven tackles against the Jets, and the defensive end did force an important fumble in Week 2 against the 49ers. Allen is a notoriously slow starter. That's not an excuse. It's reality. Missing a good portion of the preseason didn't help. Allen appears to be comfortable in Chicago. He meshes well with the rest of the locker room. It's too early to begin waving red flags over Allen's performance over the first three weeks. If Allen doesn't have a sack by Week 6, then fire away. But I see a player with plenty left in the tank, even though the statistics have yet to back it up.

Greenberg: Fiction. I can't imagine the Bears thought they were getting a mint condition Jared Allen in the first place. Allen will get sacks in bunches at some point this season, if you're worried about his numbers. But while Allen was consistently a split-second late getting to Geno Smith last week, he was putting pressure on him. Allen didn't show much the first two games, but he's still getting attention from opposing offensive lines. That frees up other players to get one-on-one coverage. As of now, I wouldn't be worried about Allen, but he doesn't finish his pass rush as the weeks continue, then he'll be looked at as an expensive Band-Aid to the team's defensive problems.