Nearly nine months after the Jan. 10 wild-card game at Soldier Field, two things remain clear: the matchup was an epic event and it altered the trajectories of both franchises. Quarterback Caleb Williams capped a comeback with a 25-point fourth-quarter surge and a game-winning touchdown to DJ Moore as the Bears eliminated the Packers 31-27, ending Green Bay’s season on a five-game losing streak. Chicago was knocked out of the playoffs a week later in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The late-season wins over Green Bay reinforced coach Ben Johnson’s messaging since arriving in Chicago. Johnson had said during his introductory news conference that he enjoyed beating Packers coach Matt LaFleur when he was the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, and he famously yelled an expletive about the Packers in the locker room after the wild-card victory. After the Bears’ recent 23-12 win over the New York Jets, Johnson closed his postgame speech by asking players, “You guys know what next week is?” and repeating, “Enough said.”
In Green Bay, the blown 21-3 lead in the playoff loss has lingered over coach Matt LaFleur and the organization’s decision-makers. LaFleur reiterated this week that, “This game is about players, and so we’ll keep it about the players,” adding that he loves the rivalry and the significance it carries on game day and during the week.
The teams meet again Sunday at Lambeau Field (1:00 p.m. ET, Fox) for the 214th meeting in their histories, playoffs included. The Bears are 3-1 and the Packers 2-2 in the NFC North, leaving only one game between them in the standings, but the organizations have not moved in the same direction since their last encounter.
At one point LaFleur was 11-0 against Chicago; the Bears have won three of the past four meetings. According to DraftKings odds cited in the report, Chicago is a 1.5-point road favorite for the first time against Green Bay since the 2006 season opener, while the Packers are home underdogs for the first time since Week 9 of the 2024 season against the Detroit Lions.
After the wild-card victory, Moore — flanked by his toddler son wearing a cheese grater hat — described the shift in the rivalry after catching his second game-winning touchdown against the Packers in as many games, saying, “To beat the Packers how we did and then just move on in the playoffs is amazing.”
