In honor of their decisive victory on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers are getting a smiley face sticker! They won 28-21, putting a lock-down on their position in the NFC North. Now with just four weeks remaining in the regular season, the Packers are an impressive 4-0 in division matchups. That’s a huge reversal from their 1-5 record in divisional games last season. For Matt LaFleur’s young squad, they will at least get a chance to settle the score with the Bears in a mere two weeks.
Though there was no question that there were some personal feelings involved, LaFleur was careful not to call the game personal. The competitive animosity that developed between the two teams has only deepened since. This animosity began brewing when Bears head coach Ben Johnson took shots at LaFleur immediately after his surprise hiring back in January. Johnson admitted that the rivalry means a lot, pointing to the deep history between the two franchises.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love suggested there were personal stakes in the game. He stressed just how important the win was for their divisional standings. He further reminded us all how not long ago the Bears themselves were sitting atop the NFC North.
“Obviously, just where we’re at in the NFC North and the division that we have, I think we’ve got some really good teams in this division and, obviously, the Bears were on top. We knew what it was coming into it, and it’s a huge win. Obviously, we’ll be seeing these guys here again in a couple weeks.” – Jordan Love
Their win at Lambeau Field not only improved their record. It proved their mettle. LaFleur was quick to point out that as important as the victory was, there is still a lot left to accomplish in these next few weeks ahead.
“It means nothing right now. I mean, it means a lot, but there’s four weeks left and you’ve got to take it day by day. You’ve got to really embrace that grind, embrace the challenge.” – Matt LaFleur
Looking ahead, the Packers will face a challenging matchup against the Denver Broncos before their rematch with the Bears, who are set to host the Cleveland Browns next week. LaFleur acknowledged the necessity for his players to maintain focus and prepare for each game as they strive to finish strong.
For his part, Johnson was thrilled to see the rivalry extended, especially with yet another game against K-State on the horizon. He expressed that competing in harsh, cold December conditions gives a “wild card” factor to the matchup that both teams thrive off of.
“Just in terms of playing at Lambeau, this is my seventh year in the division. I do think there’s some aura that comes with playing here… I think it’s awesome to have this rivalry alive and well right now. We’ll get another chance at it here in two weeks.” – Ben Johnson
After an important win on both sides, each team looks forward to their next match. The anticipation only serves to heighten excitement for their next contest, set in a prime-time window in Chicago in Week 16. With so much riding on both coaches’ sides, don’t be surprised to see an extremely competitive game. The illustrious pageantry of one of football’s largest – and most famous – rivalries will surely intensify the contest.
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