As we had into Championship Weekend of the NFL Playoffs, 28 teams will be watching from their couches. If you are not on the field, you are figuring out how to improve the team in order to be one of these four teams playing at this time next season. Obviously, the Chicago Bears are used to this feeling. That is why they made yet another move at head coach, hiring Ben Johnson.
The Bears have missed the playoffs in four straight seasons. They haven’t been to an NFC Championship game since the 2010 season when, of course, they lost to the Green Bay Packers. Clearly, this is a historic franchise that was once respected. However, they are now scrambling in order to change the culture to get back to these winning ways. They decided that, in order to do this, hiring Johnson would be the best move instead of, well, coaches who are respected and have been successful in the NFL.
Everyone on the outside can inevitably see how this decision will end up. However, Chicago Bears fans are acting as if they had won the Super Bowl. Not only did the Bears beat the Packers in Week 18, but now their new head coach, Ben Johnson, decided to take shots at the Packers during his introductory press conference.
Bears HC Ben Johnson Takes Shots at Packers and Matt LaFleur
While the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have the oldest rivalry in the NFL, it has not been talked about much lately due to the lack of competitiveness. Prior to the Bears winning a meaningless Week 18 game, the Packers had won 26 of the last 29 matchups, which included 11 straight meetings. Obviously, with the Chicago Bears’ owner Aaron Rodgers no longer with the Packers, the Bears are hoping this new era will result in more success for them.
This new era started with the draft pick of Caleb Williams at first overall in this past draft. After a poor season, the coaching staff has been wiped, and Williams was granted his wish of the Chicago Bears hiring Ben Johnson, the former offensive coordinator in Detroit. Notably, the Bears hired Johnson over former successful head coaches Mike McCarthy, Pete Carroll and Ron Rivera. This comes a year after passing on the opportunity to hire Jim Harbaugh.
In his Bears introductory press conference, zero-win head coach Ben Johnson decided to take some shots at Matt LaFleur, the Green Bay Packers head coach.
Johnson was talking about the respect he has for coaches around the league and in the division. He spoke glowingly of Dan Campbell and Kevin O’Connell, mentioning they should be included in Coach of the Year conversations. He used this to transition into talking about LaFleur and the Packers. In a cringey moment, Johnson said he “enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.” Even in Chicago, it was met with forced laughter.
Yes, LaFleur had the same number of playoff wins at Campbell and O’Connell this season. And yes, LaFleur coaches for the only other organization in the division that has ever won a Super Bowl. If you are looking for a “but,” there is none.
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