Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has taken another shot at the Green Bay Packers, even though he did not call out Matt LaFleur by name this time.
Johnson was clearly unhappy with his team’s effort in the postgame of Week 18’s loss to the Detroit Lions, citing his disappointment in the offense’s performance in particular. The loss did not end up costing them the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, but it still stung to close out the regular season on a second consecutive loss — to a division rival, no less.
When asked about what he told his players in the locker room after the game, though, Johnson managed to simultaneously complement his guys for their effort and criticize the other playoff teams — including the Packers — that sat their starters in Week 18.
“[The message is] that we’re quickly turning the page here,” Johnson said on January 4. “Everyone’s disappointed. I appreciate, like I said, their effort. Some teams, they rest their starters. We don’t. We play football. And we felt like it was really important that we were playing our best ball here today, and we didn’t get that job done.”
The Packers were not the only NFC playoff team that rested its starters in Week 18. The Philadelphia Eagles also sat their top guys against the Washington Commanders, even though a win would have clinched them the No. 2 seed after the Bears lost to the Lions.
Even still, Johnson’s evident lack of approval for the sit-em decision adds some more bulletin board material for LaFleur, the Packers’ head coach, and his 7-seeded team.
Ben Johnson Has Already Tried to Rile Matt LaFleur
Johnson may not have intended to take another dig at LaFleur and his Packers when he made his remark about sitting starters. But considering how he has gone out of his way in the past to taunt his rival coach, it is possible Johnson knew what he was doing.
Johnson fired the first shot nearly one year ago when the Bears introduced him as their new head football coach at Halas Hall and he brought up how much he enjoyed beating LaFleur “twice a year” during his three seasons as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.
“To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” he said with a grin, making a clear effort to inject a little more juice into the rivalry.
LaFleur didn’t take the bait. Instead, he mostly shrugged off Johnson’s stray when he made an appearance on “Bussin’ With The Boys” shortly before the 2025 NFL draft, saying that he does not know Johnson well and that there is “no beef” between them.
Even still, fans and media clocked how quickly the two coaches shook hands at the end of their two regular-season matchups, leaving the impression that there is no love lost. Don’t expect it to be much different when they meet after the wild-card game, either.
Bears Bracing for Another Close Game With Packers
How fitting it is, after Johnson’s opening remarks to ignite the rivalry, that the Bears and Packers will meet for the third time in six weeks to kick off the 2025 NFL playoffs.
The Bears might have come away with the victory in their last meeting with the Packers, but they should not feel too confident about it. They scored just three points in the first three quarters, sitting in a 16-6 hole until the final three minutes. The slow-starting offense also troubled them in their subsequent losses to San Francisco and Detroit.
On the bright side, the Bears also played the Packers close in their first game of the season. Quarterback Caleb Williams brought the team as close as the 14-yard line before throwing an interception in the end zone on a do-or-die fourth-down play.
“Good opponent. I think we’re fairly evenly matched,” Johnson said. “Got a lot of respect for how well they’re coached. I have a lot of respect for the talent level that they have in that building. I would expect it to be another exciting game.”
Bears’ Ben Johnson Takes Another Dig at Packers Before Playoffs