With less than a week to go before the Bears and Packers square off, the stakes couldn’t be higher-and you can feel the electricity building across the NFC North. Chicago enters the clash at 9-3, sitting atop the division and currently holding the NFC’s top seed. Green Bay, at 8-3-1, is right behind them, making this Week 14 matchup more than just another chapter in the NFL’s oldest rivalry-it’s a potential turning point in the playoff race.
Inside Halas Hall, the message is clear: this one matters. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and tight end Cole Kmet have already emphasized the weight of this game, but it was cornerback Jaylon Johnson who really put the team’s mindset into words.
“We have more belief than what we've had previously before because we've put in the work and we've seen the results come from it, and you gain confidence from that,” Johnson said. “I would say we definitely feel a lot better. But again, this is a different team, a different season, and we're going into it all guns blazing, ready and prepared.”
That’s not just talk. It’s coming from a player who knows what it’s like to grind through tough stretches and now sees a team that’s starting to believe in itself-and back it up on the field.
Johnson’s return to the lineup during Chicago’s 24-15 win over the Eagles was a welcome sight for a Bears secondary that had been stretched thin without him for over two months. Even while on a pitch count and credited with just one tackle, his presence alone brought stability to the back end of the defense. It’s no coincidence the Bears’ defense looked more cohesive with No. 33 back in the mix.
Now, the Bears turn their attention to the Packers, a team that’s had their number for most of the last decade. Since 2010, Green Bay has dominated this rivalry, winning 26 of the last 31 meetings-including 11 of the last 12. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a franchise that once owned this rivalry through the mid-20th century and well into the 1980s.
But there’s a sense that the tide might be turning. Last season, the teams split the series.
Green Bay took the first game 20-19, but Chicago closed the book on a rough 2024 campaign with a dramatic 24-22 win, sealed by a Cairo Santos game-winner. That wasn’t just a moral victory-it was a sign that this team could stand toe-to-toe with its oldest rival when it mattered.
And now, with the division lead and playoff positioning on the line, the Bears have a chance to make a real statement. A win in Week 14 wouldn’t just be about bragging rights. It would be a declaration that this version of the Bears-the one that’s battled through adversity, found its identity, and is surging at the right time-is ready to reclaim its place atop the NFC North.
The fans in Chicago can feel it. The locker room knows it. And if the Bears can back it up on the field this weekend, they’ll do more than just take a step forward-they’ll take back control of a rivalry that’s defined generations.