Football Cinema: The Packers Will Visit The Bears On Saturday Night During Wild Card Weekend
The Bears tried their very best to avoid the Packers in the playoffs with their play on Sunday, but the Eagles and their backups wouldn't let them get away with it. So here we are. For the third time this season, the NFC North's long-standing rivals will meet up, this time in a win or go home playoff scenario. What more do you want as a football fan?
Now let's state the facts, neither team is exactly flying high into this game. Green Bay lost four in a row to round out the regular season while also watching their all world pass rusher Micah Parsons tear his ACL in Denver. Chicago enters losers of two in a row, witnessing C.J. Gardner Johnson leave the game banged up on Sunday.
Their two regular season meetings in 2025 were played with razor thin margins. In Green Bay, Caleb Williams awoke in the 2nd half and had the Bears knocking on the door step to tie or possibly win the game with less than half a minute left. He under-threw Cole Kmet in the end zone and allowed Keisean Nixon to pick him off. It was actually an amazing play by Nixon who broke off of his coverage to follow a streaking Kmet into the end zone, who otherwise was going to be wide open.
In Chicago, Green Bay had the game all but won until Romeo Doubs fucked up the onside kick recovery.
This gave Caleb some much-needed life to will the Bears to the finish line. You keep it tight late, Caleb will burn you. We've seen it all year long. He has his flaws, but boy is that guy clutch. I don't care for it.
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This game on Saturday is being played in Chicago and not Green Bay because of that botched onside kick and Caleb's clutch throws that followed.
So yeah, these teams are as close to even as you can get. Is Green Bay banged up a bit more? Yes, but the oddsmakers still view it tight, even going as far to favor the Pack by 1.5 points on the opening line. Little shocking right?
With the 7 seed locked up no matter what happened on Sunday, the Packers rested everyone they could. Clayton Tune played quarterback with Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs, Quay Walker, Zach Tom, and Edgerrin Cooper all resting. Getting them a week of inactivity was massive, especially someone like Zach Tom who hasn't played since getting hurt during the Broncos game, aka the Packers' red wedding. At half time of that game I was thinking 1 seed and a legit Super Bowl contender. So much shit hit the fan since that moment. But getting Zach Tom back as well as allowing Josh Jacobs to recuperate is fucking massive.
Chicago will feel great about their chances with Caleb Williams playing the best ball of his young career so far. Defense is the worry for them especially with Gardner Johnson hurt, but with Parsons sidelined you gotta think there are going to be plenty of points scored by both sides.
The way I see it all the pressure falls on the Bears. Is that easy to say as a Packers fan? I don't particularly care! First of all the way they talk about Jordan Love you'd think he was Clayton Tune out there. If he's as bad of a quarterback as you think (they quickly forget how he torched them in GB) then this should be a walk in the park. On top of that Parsons obviously isn't playing. Just a massive blow to this defense which has gotten killed over the last month without him. No pass rush allows QBs time to throw and pick apart my awful corners. And last but not least, overall this was a great year for the Bears. Ben Johnsons transformed this group overnight and won the NFC North. That all goes away if Green Bay comes into your stadium and ends your season. The Packers have plenty of their own problems, hell there's talk newly acquired CB Trevon Diggs might start in this game. But are they equipped enough to win this game? Without question. Protect Love, stop the run, try to limit Caleb's magic. Should be fun.