Non-dramatic drama is just a distraction. The real drama — and a telling strategy on the part of the Green Bay Packers — came late Sunday.
Yes, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur no doubt had a fly-by handshake with Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson. No, it’s not as dramatic as some of the immediate reactions make it out to be. If anything, that nanosecond of interaction between the two resembles more dust bunnies than dust. Maybe you were eager to see the postgame confrontation between Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz (circa 2011), only to be disappointed when LaFleur just gave Johnson a cold little olé! before everyone quickly moved on to their post-game activities.
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“Just a quick handshake,” LaFleur said after the Packers’ 28-21 victory over the Bears. “We’ll see them again in two weeks.”
Any drama or pettiness between the Packers and Bears fell into obscurity after Johnson made a week of fiery comments last January during his introductory press conference with the Bears, when he said he “loved beating Matt LaFleur twice a year” as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator. Instead, LaFleur was forward-thinking and respectful of the Bears, reciting his rather typical mission-first and always diatribe about moving forward methodically. Instead, Johnson expressed his appreciation for the Packers and seemed grateful to be a part of the two teams’ revitalized rivalry as they compete for the NFC North crown.
“I do think there’s some aura that comes with playing and competing here,” Johnson said of Lambeau Field. “I love our players. This is how the football Gods made football to be. Cold weather in December is like this. Green Bay, Chicago – it’s awesome. I think it’s great to be able to maintain this competitiveness now and we’ll get another chance here in two weeks.”
For the most part, that’s the basic message from the Packers: Green Bay stuck to its end of the bargain and will meet Chicago again in two weeks, when the divisional outcome will be decided at Soldier Field.
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Oh — and stop with the obviously egregious but unflinching detention penalty on Micah Parsons.
That’s where the spice of Sunday comes in. There is less of a relationship between LaFleur and Johnson than there was between the Packers coaches and the officiating staff on Sunday. Not to mention the vast majority of Green Bay fans, social media is awash with clips of Parsons being caught by the likes of Bears tight end Colston Loveland and offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
Wright’s hustle was particularly exciting for Packers fans because the NFL’s X account cited it as a highlight for Chicago, showcasing Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ key scramble and completion on the drive late in the fourth quarter. On the play, Parsons broke out from the right side and met Wright, who hooked his arm around Parsons’ neck to keep him out of the way. Williams broke free and completed a 24-yard pass to Devin Duvernay deep in Green Bay. In the background of the play, you can see Parsons kneeling on the ground with his arms raised to the sky, seemingly demanding a penalty or some explanation of what it takes to get the flag.
Parsons finished with eight quarterback pressures and zero sacks or tackles for loss in the win. Later, when talking about the way the Bears blocked Parsons, LaFleur expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of flags. On more than one occasion during the game, the Packers head coach had heated encounters with officials and complained about seemingly unmarked holds. When asked about one of the incidents, LaFleur said he wasn’t sure what constituted a seizure after seeing how officers handled Parsons.
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“I guess I don’t know,” LaFleur said. “I thought one was definitely questionable, to say the least. But obviously the officials didn’t agree, so that’s what it is. We just have to continue to tense up and fight and try to find the quarterback.”
Did Micah Parsons get fair treatment from the referees? The Packers don’t seem to think so. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sports Wire via Getty Images)
Continuing to press, he redoubled his efforts.
“The officers, I don’t think their jobs are easy by any means,” LaFleur added. “I think it’s a difficult job, but I guess I don’t know what holding is anymore. Because I think [one] Very clear – a clear, obvious grasp. But I guess I don’t know what that means. “
LaFleur carefully walked a fine line between direct criticism of any official. But it was no accident that the question came with reporters prepared to highlight what had happened to Parsons over the past few weeks. LaFleur knew what he was doing. He staged a postgame podium maneuver in early December and could also at some point join the Packers in filing a private officiating protest with video attached to the league office — not unusual for NFL teams — to get the message across.
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It’s roughly as follows: During the course of our game, Mika was repeatedly detained…the evidence was playing out in front of everyone’s eyes…and there needs to be better law enforcement than this.
That’s what you do when you have an edge rusher making $46.5 million per season who can’t accomplish one of his primary tasks of ruining the game. That is hitting the quarterback. repeatedly. You should do the same when the race for the NFC North — and, more importantly, the league’s No. 1 playoff seed — is still up in the air. You look for advantages. Especially one that was confirmed in gameplay footage and deserves to be called that if an official sees it.
Of course, this isn’t new territory for Parsons. Dallas Cowboys fans have been complaining about this for years, dating back to his 2021 rookie season. And it’s not just the fan base. In December 2023, when Dallas was competing with the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions for the No. 1 seed in that season’s playoffs, the Cowboys contacted the NFL league office to argue that Parsons had been blocked (allegedly) by opposing teams on multiple occasions, but that those actions did not result in penalties.
Parsons publicly regretted it that season and at other times during his career in Dallas. Now, it’s followed him north to Green Bay, and the Packers are mired in the same frustration. That’s probably why Parsons seemed the most pragmatic all Sunday when asked about his frustrations with a lack of offensive possessions.
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“I have to keep fighting,” Parsons told reporters. “That’s what defines my career. It’s always a struggle no matter what. I’m a small guy and I want to [officials] Realizing that, I have an advantage on the defensive end – I play with a lot of impact and I’m able to grab people’s arms. “
“I think the rulebook is you have to be in the chest area and I just couldn’t get caught in the chest area,” he added. “But like I said, there’s nothing I can do about it. I just have to keep fighting.”
When asked by reporters about the chokehold, Parsons verbally shrugged.
“It’s not in the rule book at all,” he said.
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LaFleur certainly wouldn’t accept that. General manager Brian Gutekunst is also unlikely to do so. That much seems clear as the head coach gleefully adds fuel to a debate that will likely only draw more attention as the Packers head into the playoffs — not to mention another game against the Bears in Week 16 that could decide the division.
Two weeks later, the Packers opened a new chapter in the drama between the two rivals. That ties in closely with the scrutiny the Bears, and Green Bay’s other opponents heading into the playoffs, have come under for Parsons’ approach to officiating.