Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t mince words during his introductory press conference. He stated that he loved beating Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur twice a year. It was the first time a Bears head coach had acknowledged a Packers head coach by name so openly like that. Lovie Smith had said his first objective was to beat Green Bay. However, Johnson took it up several notches with that statement. It was a declaration of war the NFL hadn’t seen since Rex Ryan stated he didn’t go to New York to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings.
Green Bay fans and media rolled their eyes. It was all bluster to them. They knew the score. The Bears were under the direct ownership of the Packers and had been for the past 15 years. A hotshot young coach who’d benefitted from a stacked roster for the past three years in Detroit wouldn’t change that.
So you can imagine their surprise when Johnson fulfilled his statement, beating LeFleur twice, both in dramatic comeback fashion. The playoff loss at Soldier Field was unequivocally one of the biggest gutpunches in recent Packers history. It also allowed an uncomfortable question to worm into their minds.
Is Johnson the better coach? That was a discussion on Jen, Gabe, & Chewy for ESPN Milwaukee.
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Ben Johnson has achieved something no one has in over 30 years.
He got into the Packers’ heads. Thinks about it. Who was the last player or coach who genuinely seemed to unsettle Green Bay fans and media to this extent? You’d probably have to go all the way back to Walter Payton. Johnson represents the first person to not just acknowledge the rivalry as a top priority in years, but the first to put himself at the center of it. The Bears’ head coach is combative by nature. He wants the smoke. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the best way to confront a bully is by standing up to them.
Even after losing that first matchup between the two teams at Lambeau Field, Ben Johnson did not relent. He made it clear the Bears would come back swinging every single time. If you get them down, you’ll have to kill them because there will be no relenting until the Packers break. He proved that point twice in the span of a month with double-digit comebacks. That just doesn’t happen to Green Bay, especially against Chicago. Suddenly, a kernel of doubt has crept into their minds.
Nothing has changed since last season.
The objective remains. Beat the Packers twice a year. Johnson knows Green Bay has long been the gatekeeper to any success the Bears have had over the years. Each of their last two championships required them to beat Green Bay in both regular season matchups. Getting past them is the first step. One thing seems clear. Another good push might be the final straw for LaFleur. It has felt for some time that he’s been treading dangerous waters up north. Losing the division to the Bears for a second straight season could be the death knell.
Nothing would make Johnson happier. He is the type of person who would delight in the misery of others, at least where football is involved. His goals go far beyond just making an annual tradition of beating Green Bay. He wants championships and records. The Packers want to prevent that. So they are the enemy. In his mind, there is only one thing to do with enemies.
Wipe them out.
