Ben Johnson didn’t waste time pretending Jordan Love is just another quarterback on the schedule.
With the Bears and Packers set to meet in Week 5, Chicago’s head coach gave Green Bay’s passer a strong endorsement, calling him one of the league’s top players at the position. Johnson also made it clear that Love’s accuracy is a real problem Chicago has to account for.
“Their offense, obviously Jordan Love is one of the better quarterbacks in this league. He is as accurate as anybody,” remarked the Bears head coach.
That kind of praise carries extra weight in a rivalry that has been defined by quarterback talk for years. The Bears finally have their own centerpiece in Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, but Johnson still took the time to recognize what Love brings to the Packers’ offense.
He also pointed back to the issues Love has caused Chicago before, stressing that the Bears have to be prepared for whatever he throws at them when the teams meet again.
Johnson, though, has kept the public trash talk in check this week even with all the usual noise around Packers-Bears. That’s a different tone from last season, when a locker room video surfaced showing him firing off an expletive at Green Bay after Chicago’s Wild Card win. He never tried to soften that moment, making it clear the Bears and Packers are not supposed to like each other.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur pushed back on turning the rivalry into a coach-versus-coach storyline, keeping the focus where he wants it.
“This game is about players, and so we’ll keep it about the players,” the Packers head coach commented.
The latest round of comments has only turned up the temperature for Sunday’s meeting.
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Dave Robinson arrived as a first-round pick in 1963 and became part of the force behind three consecutive NFL championships, plus two Super Bowl wins. His place in Packers history was cemented long ago with Hall of Fame recognition in Green Bay and later in Canton, which is why fans still bring his name up whenever the conversation turns to the best player to ever wear that number. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Rivalry Game Just Got More Complicated For Sunday
Caleb Williams return to practice Friday added a layer of uncertainty to an already charged NFC North matchup, and it matters plenty to the Packers as Sunday approaches. The Chicago quarterback had missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, leaving the Bears to lean on Tyson Bagent, who stepped in last week and helped guide them to a win over the New York Jets.
Williams is now listed as questionable, which leaves Chicago with a late call to make on its most important position. If he is not ready to go, Bagent would get the nod again, giving Green Bay a very different look to prepare for and turning an already familiar rivalry game into one with a little more suspense. [Read more 🡒]