The Green Bay Packers didn’t just beat the Bears on Sunday. They flattened the whole Ben Johnson hype machine while they were at it.
Green Bay rolled to a 31-7 win, a result that checked every box the Packers could have wanted: a statement against a division rival, a shot at a fellow Super Bowl contender, and a little revenge for the pain of that playoff loss. It also handed Matt LaFleur the kind of bragging rights that tend to linger a while.
Johnson’s loud, dismissive act hasn’t exactly aged well in Green Bay. That can play in Chicago, sure, but after a loss like this, it looks a lot less like swagger and a lot more like a coach trying to sprint before he can walk.
The numbers against the division are already starting to tell that story. Johnson is now 2-6 against NFC North opponents as the Bears’ head coach and 3-6 overall, with the only playoff win coming against the Packers. Against the rest of the division, the ledger is still ugly: 0-2 versus the Lions, 1-2 against the Vikings, and 2-2 against Green Bay, or 1-2 if the Wild Card game is excluded.
That’s a rough profile for someone who was supposed to walk in and own the division immediately. Johnson arrived with all the offensive buzz in the world, the supposed mastermind who would reshape the league and turn Caleb Williams into a star on command. Reality has been a lot less glamorous.
None of this means he can’t scheme. He absolutely can.
But there’s a difference between drawing up clever stuff and proving you can consistently lift the entire operation around you. Johnson has been working with loaded offensive rosters, and the big question remains the same: is he making people better, or benefiting from what he already has?
The Bears sure looked terrifying after putting up 59 points in Week 1. For a minute, they were chasing the 2013 Broncos’ record for the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. Since then, though, they’ve managed only 60 combined points over the last four games.
Green Bay took the air out of them. The Bears finished 4-of-14 on third down, 2-of-5 on fourth down, and only 246 total yards.
They also coughed it up five times. Yes, missing the starting quarterback clearly mattered, but this wasn’t a team that had only ever functioned with one guy under center; they had already won with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum this season.
Even with the rough stretch, the Bears still sit first in the league in rushing yards per game at 173.2 and rank sixth in total offense at 407.4 yards per game. The scoring, though, has slipped to 13th at 23.8 points per game. Caleb Williams should change that when he returns, but that’s part of the job description too: a good coach finds ways to maximize what’s available.
So yes, Ben Johnson is still a capable coach with room to become something more. But after this one, the trash talk feels a lot less convincing. Before taking shots at another team or trying to clown another coach, maybe he should collect a few more actual wins first.
In Other News...
Packers Suddenly Have A Trade Deadline Question They Can't Ignore
Injuries have pushed the Packers into an uncomfortable corner on defense, with key players dropping out at different points and the pass rush still operating without Micah Parsons because of his torn ACL. For a team trying to stay afloat in a rugged NFC race, the timing could hardly be worse, and it has turned the trade deadline into a real roster-building test rather than just a date on the calendar.
One name now hanging over that conversation is Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne, a veteran Pro Bowl lineman who would give Green Bay another proven body inside. He also brings a layer of intrigue beyond the field, since he is headed toward free agency and has already been part of trade chatter, which makes the Packers' defensive needs and Washington's long-term plans intersect at exactly the wrong time for Green Bay. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Passing Surge Comes With One Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Through the first five games, the Packers passing game has looked like a real strength, with Jordan Love settling in and wideouts Christian Watson and Matthew Golden giving Green Bay a more dangerous downfield element. The offense has found ways to keep moving the ball even while dealing with injuries and a few moving parts around the lineup, a reminder that the ceiling looks higher when the receiver group is whole and the timing stays sharp.
Kevin Zeitler is part of the reason there is cautious optimism about the line holding up long enough for that momentum to last. With Jayden Reed still out and the offensive front needing to stay healthy, the Packers aerial surge feels promising, but it also comes with the familiar caveat that everything changes fast if protection starts to slip or more pieces have to be shuffled again. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Win Over Bears Changed The Conversation Around This Team
Jordan Love and the Packers gave themselves a much different national conversation with the win over the Bears, a result that nudged Green Bay back to 3-2 and offered a cleaner look at where this team stands after an uneven start. The offense looked more settled with Love steering the group effectively, and the latest push comes at a time when the Packers have needed their best players to steady things.
The challenge now is whether that progress can hold with the defense still working through major injuries, including the season-ending losses of Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Hargrave. Green Bay does not get long to enjoy the boost, either, with the Cowboys coming to town next on Sunday Night Football, a stage that should say plenty about whether this improved vibe is real or just a one-game correction. [Read more 🡒]