Bears HC Ben Johnson fulfills his bold offseason promise against Packers HC Matt LaFleur, and it might be his last opportunity to do so
The rivalry between Ben Johnson and Matt LaFleur might be over.
When the Chicago Bears hired head coach Ben Johnson last January, Johnson made quick work calling out a familiar rival in Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, and it meant more coming from a coach with the Bears logo behind him.
“I’m gonna be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson said back in January.
When the teams split the regular season series, Johnson didn’t get his wish, but he got one last chance to fulfill his bold offseason promise when the Bears were matched up against the Packers in the first round of the NFC playoffs. And, like his team, Johnson delivered and helped send a strong message to Green Bay.
Bears heard all of the smoke from Green Bay going into the game
Earlier in the week, the Packers weren’t afraid to buff the chest out a little bit going into this rivalry game, much more so than what was heard out of Halas Hall, with the Bears more so focused on the details and leaning away from the emotional element.
“There was probably a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north at the start of the week — which we heard loud and clear,” Johnson told reporters after the game. “Players and coaches alike. So this one meant something to us.”
Johnson wasn’t the only one who heard all of the smoke coming out of Green Bay. The players heard it too, and you could tell it silently became bulletin board material, the way it should be.
“They wanted us, that’s what I heard,” Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said after the win. “They wanted it. And they got it.”
And now, the Bears are indeed back and making this a rivalry once again, sending the Packers running home to Green Bay and ending their season. As for LaFleur, the Bears might have ended more than his season on Saturday night.
Matt LaFleur’s future in Green Bay is now up in the air
With the Packers’ season over, the contract for the team’s head coach comes into question. Before the game, it was reported that LaFleur and the Packers were moving closer to a resolution on a potential extension, but things might change after this kind of loss in the postseason.
At this point, LaFleur and the Packers will have to decide what the best course of action is for his coaching future. And if the Packers decide to move on, other teams will be interested. Of the seven current head coach openings, four are in the AFC (Ravens, Raiders, Dolphins, and Titans).
So, there is certainly a possibility LaFleur is out of the NFC North and potentially the NFC entirely after this brutal loss. We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks, but I hope LaFleur stays with the Packers and keeps this rivalry going for years to come against Johnson and the Bears.
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