Ben Johnson gets his first chance as Bears coach to beat Matt LaFleur ‘twice a year’

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) – Ben Johnson was rattling off the names of the other coaches in the NFC at his introductory news conference with the Chicago Bears in January, praising Detroit’s Dan Campbell and Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell.

When he got to Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur, he couldn’t help but take a jab.

“To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson said as some in the crowd chuckled.

Johnson and LaFleur will see each other twice in the next three weeks, starting with a matchup at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

The rolling Bears (9-3) have won five straight and nine of 10 overall following a 24-15 victory at Philadelphia. They have a chance to increase their NFC North lead over Green Bay (8-3-1) and strengthen their grip on the top seed in the conference.

“It’s a big week,” Johnson said. “We know how important this rivalry is, so I just wanted to address that.”

The Packers have dominated the NFL’s longest-running rivalry the past few decades. But as an assistant with Detroit from 2019 to 2024, Johnson was part of his fair share of wins over Green Bay. The Lions went 5-1 against the Packers in his three seasons as Campbell’s offensive coordinator, including sweeps in 2022 and 2024, before becoming Chicago’s head coach.

The Bears’ struggles against Green Bay are well documented.

Aaron Rodgers went 25-5 against them counting the playoffs and famously dumped more salt on the wound during a game at Soldier Field. He turned to the crowd and screamed that he still owns the Bears. Then again, who could argue?

The Bears had a little more success against his predecessor Brett Favre, though the Hall of Famer was 22-10 against Chicago during his time with the Packers. More recently, Jordan Love is 3-1 versus the Bears. But if the tide is going to turn, this might be the time.

“I would say the confidence is a lot higher in the locker room, in the building, and just what we can do when you put it on tape, it gives you more confidence,” said cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who returned against Philadelphia after missing nine games because of a groin injury that required surgery. “I think for us going into this game, we have more belief than what we’ve had previously before because we’ve put in the work and we’ve seen the results come from it and you gain confidence from that.”

The Bears had dropped 11 straight against the Packers before winning at Lambeau in last year’s finale. Cairo Santos kicked a field goal as time expired in a 24-22 victory, after having a game-ending attempt blocked in a 20-19 loss at Soldier Field in Week 11. That capped a week in which Chicago fired its offensive coordinator, and it came during a 10-game skid that cost former coach Matt Eberflus his job.

The Bears finished last in the NFC North at 5-12. But there’s a decidedly different vibe in Chicago.

The win over Philadelphia combined with Carolina beating Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams vaulted the Bears into the top seed in the NFC, and to add a little mustard to the moment, a famed stand on the city’s North Side gave out free hot dogs on Tuesday.

The Wiener’s Circle delivered on a promise it made in October to give them away if Johnson took off his shirt following a win. And he did just that in a raucous locker room after Chicago beat Philadelphia on Friday.

As for the Packers, well, the rivalry hits home for Bears tight end Cole Kmet. He grew up in the Chicago area, and his father Frank, a defensive end, spent time with both teams, though he never appeared in an NFL game.

Cole Kmet’s sister dates Packers linebacker Lukas Van Ness, and his best friend – who was in his wedding party – remains a loyal Green Bay fan.

“He still won’t wear my damn jersey. Just out of the country – He’ll wear it out of the country,” Kmet said. “That’s it. It’s fun. At the end of the day it’s a lot of fun for me and a lot of fun for my family.”