Jon Gruden didn’t just like what he saw from the Bears this week. He sounded convinced the Packers are walking into a problem they may not be built to solve.
With Chicago sitting at 3-1 after starting three different quarterbacks and still looking sharper under Ben Johnson, the former NFL head coach said the Bears have the edge heading into Sunday’s matchup at Lambeau Field. On the October 8 episode of the Gruden Family Football Show, he went straight at Green Bay’s issues and didn’t soften the message.
“They're in real trouble against the Bears. I think they know that,” Gruden said.
That view was tied to what Green Bay has done - and failed to do - on offense. The Packers put up just 283 total yards in their win over Tampa Bay, and their rushing game has not given them much to trust. They also rank 31st in time of possession, while Chicago sits second, a gap that matters even more when a team is controlling games the way Johnson’s offense has been.
Gruden and his brother Jay kept circling back to the same problem: the Bears can run the ball, and Green Bay may not have the answer. Edgerrin Cooper’s absence came up too, with Gruden pointing to that as another issue for the Packers.
Then he sharpened the point even further.
"It's not just a statistic, it's an ass kicking," Gruden said. "They are kicking your a** running the ball with two different backs."
He credited Johnson for the way Chicago attacks defenses with different looks and creates favorable matchups, and that led him to his pick.
"I love the Bears to win and cover," Gruden declared.
Jay Gruden agreed, saying Green Bay simply doesn’t have enough offensive firepower.
What stood out just as much as the prediction was the respect Gruden showed Johnson. Chicago has dealt with quarterback injuries without letting the offense collapse, and Tyson Bagent has helped keep the Bears competitive. Instead of forcing the issue through the air, Johnson has leaned into the run game and kept the pressure on defenses that way.
Jay Gruden praised the Bears for running the ball well, converting third downs, taking care of the football and keeping their quarterbacks out of bad spots.
The Bears’ 23-12 win over the New York Jets offered another clean example of what that looks like when it all comes together. Chicago outgained New York 492-157 in a game that showed just how thoroughly the Bears controlled things.
Jon Gruden also drew a comparison to his own Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers, noting that team also used three quarterbacks during its championship season.
"Ben Johnson to me, he is the man," Gruden said.
That kind of praise lands differently when it comes from someone who spent years coaching against top teams. Chicago has not needed perfect quarterback play to win. Johnson has built an offense that controls the ball, moves the chains and puts opposing defenses under stress.
If that travels to Lambeau Field, the Bears have a chance to do more than just add another win.
A victory would push Chicago to 4-1 and would mean something bigger in a rivalry that has long tilted toward Green Bay. For years, the Packers have been the standard in these matchups, while the Bears have often been the team trying to prove it belongs in the conversation.
This time, the setup feels different. Chicago has an identity on offense, a head coach earning national respect and a defense capable of creating turnovers. Green Bay is still trying to sort out its rushing attack and find more consistency on offense.
None of that guarantees anything on Sunday. Lambeau Field is a tough place to win, and divisional games have a way of ignoring the script.
But Gruden’s comments make one thing clear: the Bears are no longer being viewed as the underdog in the same old way. He thinks they’re better suited for this matchup, and that’s a warning Packers fans won’t love hearing.
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