Bears-Packers Week Is Here - And For Ben Johnson, It’s Personal
If you’re in Chicago, you don’t need a calendar to know what week it is. The energy shifts.
The conversations change. It’s Packers week - and for the Bears, the season starts now.
That’s not just a rallying cry. It’s a reality.
With the NFC playoff race tighter than ever and the final Wild Card team already sitting at nine wins, there’s zero room for error. The Bears might be holding the No. 1 seed today, but a single misstep - especially this week - could send them tumbling all the way to the edge of the postseason picture.
And that’s what makes this matchup with Green Bay so critical. It’s the first of two late-season clashes between the longtime rivals, and it’s coming at a time when every rep, every possession, every decision could swing playoff seeding.
This isn’t just a rivalry game. It’s a defining moment.
“We know how important this rivalry is,” head coach Ben Johnson told the media this week. “It’s one of those that lives in NFL history.”
Johnson isn’t just saying the right things - he’s been preparing for this moment long before he ever put on a Bears headset.
A Rivalry Rooted in Preparation
When Johnson took the Bears job, he didn’t mince words. He made it clear that beating the Packers - and specifically, outcoaching Matt LaFleur - was part of the mission.
That message resonated with a fanbase that’s lived through more than its fair share of heartbreak in this rivalry. But Johnson’s focus on Green Bay wasn’t just talk.
It was strategy.
Go back to January 2024. Johnson was one of the hottest names on the coaching market.
He had interviews lined up with multiple teams, including the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks. Either job would’ve been a major step up.
Instead, he chose to stay in Detroit - not because he wasn’t ready, but because he was waiting for the right opportunity.
He had his eye on Chicago. He saw the potential.
He saw a team likely to stick with Matt Eberflus for one more season, a team poised to land its quarterback of the future in the upcoming draft - whether that was Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or another top prospect. Johnson didn’t want to leave the NFC North.
He wanted to stay in the division, and more specifically, he wanted to be the one to help turn the tide in one of the NFL’s most storied rivalries.
Now, nearly two years later, he’s got his shot. The Bears are in the playoff hunt, the Packers are looming, and Johnson is right where he wanted to be - leading Chicago into a December showdown with Green Bay that carries real postseason weight.
A Coach Who Gets It
Let’s be honest: Bears fans have heard the “we understand the rivalry” line from head coaches before. It’s become something of a tradition - a new hire stands at the podium, talks about the history, the intensity, the importance of beating Green Bay. But too often, the results haven’t matched the rhetoric.
This time feels different.
Johnson isn’t just acknowledging the rivalry - he’s embracing it. He’s built for it.
And more importantly, he’s built a team that’s learning to play with that same edge, that same urgency. You can feel it in the way they prepare.
You can see it in the way they’ve handled adversity this season. And now, as they head into this all-important stretch, you can sense that this group knows exactly what’s at stake.
For Johnson and the Bears, this isn’t just another game. It’s a proving ground. It’s a chance to take a stand in the playoff race, to assert themselves in the division, and to send a message that things are changing in Chicago.
The road to the postseason runs through moments like these. And if the Bears are going to make a real run, it starts with taking care of business against the team that’s tormented them for far too long.
It’s Packers week. And for Ben Johnson and the Bears, the real football begins now.