The Green Bay Packers shouldn’t need any extra motivation to face the first-place Chicago Bears, but head coach Ben Johnson unintentionally gave them some anyway. In a press conference before the 2025 season kicked off, the rookie coach — formerly the Lions’ offensive coordinator — casually mentioned how much he “enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.” It was the kind of slip you expect from a first-year head coach who hasn’t yet learned to choose his words more carefully.

Now Week 14 is here, and Johnson finally gets his first of two chances this season to back up that offseason bravado.

Though Johnson had success scheming against Green Bay while in Detroit, he’s never done it as a head coach, and certainly not from outside the Lions organization. On paper, the Packers’ current roster matches up extremely well with a Chicago team that has benefited from more than a little good fortune in 2025. Sunday’s matchup should provide a clearer picture of which team is actually the NFC North frontrunner.

Packers Need to Use Johnson’s Comments as Added Fuel

Green Bay has two meetings with Chicago in the next three weeks, giving the Packers a prime opportunity to tighten their grip on the division and derail the Bears’ unexpected run. That alone is plenty of incentive. Johnson’s offseason soundbite simply gives the Packers a little extra fire.

It’s clear Johnson didn’t anticipate Green Bay being a legitimate threat when he made the remark, or he underestimated them altogether. At the time, Minnesota and Detroit were viewed as the division’s heavyweights. Now, the Vikings are battling for draft position, and the Lions are scrambling to keep their playoff hopes intact as they prepare for a Thursday night matchup with Dallas.

Meanwhile, nearly everything is breaking Green Bay’s way. Key players are returning from injury, and the team is heating up at exactly the right moment. Chicago, on the other hand, practically handed the Packers bulletin-board material — a quote that already looks like it’s aging poorly. Johnson is about to face a deeper roster and a coaching staff with far more experience, and Sunday could serve as a harsh reality check.

It’s also worth noting: the Packers are 3-0 against NFC North opponents this year. The Bears? 1-2 with an average scoring margin of –10.7.

Given the trajectory of both teams and the history of this rivalry, it’s hard to envision Week 14 unfolding in any way other than Green Bay extending its dominance. Since 2015, the Packers are 17-3 against Chicago — a decade’s worth of lopsided results.

Someone probably should have reminded Johnson of that before he offered up a comment he’ll likely regret.