It’s not like we haven’t been here before.
this chicago bears and green bay packers In the 104-year confrontation, the two sides played many important games. They’ve played 18 prime-time games in the past 20 years. They faced each other in the playoffs. They even competed for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
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So why does tonight feel so momentous? Like the outcome of this game could change at least one of these franchises for the foreseeable future — maybe even both?
Most expected the Packers to make the playoffs before the season, while most models failed to predict the Bears’ playoff chances after beating Green Bay in Week 16.
The Packers have retained the DNA of a winning team for decades, while the Bears have long since squandered their DNA after winning it all in 1985. They’ve always had star quarterbacks, and probably the only team with a more frustrating starting quarterback roster than the Bears over the past three decades is the Cleveland Browns. Green Bay has also always had smart offensive coaches who not only molded their quarterback into a Bears killer, but also let their entire team know they had the Bears. Meanwhile, even Lovie Smith couldn’t quite deliver on his promise to put Green Bay in their place or even make this game a tie.
But these bears… they’re different.
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Of course, they still have plenty of flaws, as have basically every Bears team that has taken the field since 1985 (outside of the 2006 season). Their defense is more inconsistent than ever, while their offense remains solid.
But after years of “building a winning culture,” for all their flaws, they finally became one this year.
this Bear Now, the hot-shot offensive head coach has turned former No. 1 quarterback Caleb Williams into a killer — someone no NFL team wants to see on the field when the game is on the line. (Crazy, I know.)
And, as Week 16 showed, they are no longer the same Bears. They are tough. They’re not afraid of anything — especially the Packers. They refuse to die for anyone. especially Packers.
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We don’t know what to expect when the Bears take on the Packers tonight at Soldier Field in this wild-card game, except that both teams are desperate to not only advance to the next round, but establish their dominance in the NFL’s longest game.
But whatever the outcome, one thing seems certain:
Everything will change after tonight.
If the Bears win, they’ll prove to the entire league — for what appears to be the fifth time this season — that they’re for real. They deserve respect. they really really able Win it all, especially if the NFC has to go through Chicago and its harsh “Bear Weather.” Ben Johnson will make good on his promise to beat Matt LaFleur twice this season, perhaps allowing the Packers to re-evaluate their overall outlook with LaFleur at the helm. They’ll be looking to regain momentum in a rivalry that’s been tilted decidedly toward Green Bay for the past three decades or so. No matter what happens, Bears fans will be able to end the playoffs happy.
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If they lose…that’ll be bad. a lot of.
It feels like the same old story – never winning in clutch situations against the Packers. Always comes back to the younger brother, the kicked dog. All the haters will say “I told you so”. This offseason will be filled with more anxiety from fans about how the Bears can close the gap and whether the Bears can move past these heartbreaks.
Johnson, Williams and the rest of this team will feel the sting of that loss for the rest of the offseason, living with the disappointment every day.
They will work. They will plan. They will dream of the day of revenge.
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The tide will turn. Because this is just the beginning of their journey. Because Johnson is crazy and can’t stand losing. Because Williams has proven himself calm and fearless in challenges. Because everything they’ve built this year hasn’t even scratched the surface of their true potential, with Johnson, Williams, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden Jr. and a group of veterans with a lot left.
Because these Bears have come too far to not be great—either now or a year or two from now.
Whatever their weaknesses may be, they are fundamentally different than the Bears we’ve watched over the past few years. Somehow these bears are going somewhere, as long as they’re lucky enough to stay healthy.
No matter what happens tonight, the Bears are finally starting to be who we all hoped they would be. They occupied the north. Later, they will have to keep their promise and never return it.
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They have achieved success that few thought possible and tonight will inspire them to reach even greater heights, win or lose.
But just for fun, how about we win this? And then another… and another… maybe another after that?
