The Chicago Bears had good reasons to feel confident going into Sunday. They knew they could beat the Green Bay Packers, having done so twice in 2025. Unfortunately, such things are impossible when you turn the ball over 5 times. What was a close game going into the 3rd quarter spiraled out of control. The Packers raced ahead to a decisive 31-7 win, getting a measure of revenge for their humiliating playoff loss. However, it seems that they might have created some dangerous overconfidence on their part.
Packers players have said several times, dating back to last season, that the Bears talk too much, both players and coaches. Linebacker Zaire Franklin decided to fire back, calling out wide receiver Luther Burden for quitting.
He wasn’t alone. Wide receiver Christian Watson took his turn when he dismissed the Bears’ defense as a non-factor. They are weak and easy to exploit. No surprise he feels that way after putting up 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, and yet voicing it aloud to the media? Clearly, he thinks there won’t be consequences.
The Green Bay Packers no doubt think they’ve reasserted control.
They certainly played one of their best games of the season. That said, context feels important here. While they did put up 31 points, they did so courtesy of 5 turnovers and 6 plays of 30 yards or more. That doesn’t feel like something they’re likely to duplicate in the next meeting on Christmas Day. They only averaged 2.7 yards per carry on the ground. This was not one of those games where one team was clearly superior to the other. Most of what the Packers got were gifts from the Bears’ many mistakes.
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Then you must factor in the names who were absent. Playing Tyson Bagent instead of Caleb Williams made life so much easier for them. That doesn’t include the absences of key names like Ozzy Trapilo, Coby Bryant, Kyle Monangai, and Kyler Gordon. Sure, the Green Bay Packers didn’t have Micah Parsons and Josh Jacobs, but only one of those absences is due to injuries. The Bears also lost three more starters during the game. Once key guys start dropping, a game almost always gets away from you.
Don’t expect this result to change anything.
The Bears played poorly and lost. The Packers played well and won. It’s pretty much that simple. We’ll see if the results remain the same in the rematch. By then, most of the key players the Bears were missing should be back. Most importantly, the quarterback who is 3-2 against Green Bay. If the Packers win that one as well? They’re free to talk all they want. Doing all that yapping now feels a little over the top. All it’s doing is serving the Bears with plenty of motivational material.
Green Bay doesn’t have long to celebrate. Their schedule isn’t getting easier with Dallas, Detroit, Carolina, New England, and Minnesota all coming up before the bye week. It’s the same for the Bears with Atlanta, Seattle, New England, and Tampa Bay. Both teams will want that second matchup in December to mean something. The Packers will look pretty foolish if they walk into Soldier Field out of the playoff picture.
