Ben Johnson takes a veiled shot at the Packers right before their playoff matchup
Bears head coach doesn’t shy away from generating extra pressure for his team.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson doesn’t shy away from talking about their divisional opponents, whether that’s way before the season or right before a playoff matchup. Back in January, Johnson had said he enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.
Now, ahead of the Bears’ game against the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round, Johnson took a shot without directly mentioning the rival.
“Everyone is disappointed,” Johnson said after the 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions. “I appreciate their effort. Some teams, they rest their starters. We don’t. We play football. We felt like it was really important that we were playing our best ball here [on Sunday], and we didn’t get that job done.”
It’s not apples to apples
While there is some merit to Johnson’s point that playing football is important, the Bears and Packers were under entirely different circumstances. The Bears had to win to secure the second seed — even though they got it anyway because the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Washington Commanders, guess what, resting some starters as well. Meanwhile, the Packers were locked in the seventh seed.
“We’re quickly turning that page,” Johnson added. “Now we’ve got a home game coming on up, and there’s a way to win this game, this next game, and that’s what we’re going to be solely focused on.”
The Packers and Bears faced off twice this year, both in December. First, the Packers won 28-21 at Lambeau Field. In the second game, Jordan Love suffered a concussion in the second quarter, and the Bears won in overtime, 22-16.
When talking directly about the Packers, Ben Johnson showed respect for the NFC North rival.
“Good opponent,” Johnson mentioned. “I think we’re fairly evenly matched. Got a lot of respect for how well they’re coached. I have a lot of respect for the talent level that they have in that building. I would expect it to be another exciting game.”
The Packers and Bears play at Soldier Field on Saturday night, at 7 p.m. (CT). If Green Bay wins, it will face the Seattle Seahawks on the road in the divisional round. Chicago would play at Soldier Field, and the opponent would depend on how the other games shake out.
Packers vs. Bears 2025 Matchups
- Week 14: Packers defeat Bears 28-21 at Lambeau Field after Caleb Williams threw an interception in the end zone.
- Week 16: Packers lose 22-16 to the Bears in overtime at Soldier Field. Jordan Love was injured in this game and replaced by Malik Willis, who played well.
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