The Chicago Bears had been rolling with a couple of impressive victories over the Eagles and Jets even though they didn't even have explosive QB Caleb Williams in the lineup. They had been winning thanks to the coaching and leadership of Ben Johnson, and the Green Bay Packers were sure to be the next team to face the music.
It didn't work out that way. The Bears traveled north to the not-yet Frozen Tundra and got hammered 31-7 by their long-time rivals. The Packers had been struggling for the first four weeks of the season and it looked like they were the worst of the four teams in the NFC North. Instead, the Packers came out with a powerful and confident effort, got their passing game going behind Jordan Love, and LaFleur got at least a little bit of revenge over Johnson.
The Bears had knocked the Packers out of the playoffs last season with a victory in the Wild Card game and it looked like the series was finally turning back in Chicago's favor.
Packers prevent a reversal of fortune
LaFleur and Love gave the Bears the Lee Corso treatment: Not so fast!
The Packers have dominated the series since the 1990s when Brett Favre came aboard. After the Hall of Famer tossed the ball to Aaron Rodgers, the Packers continued to roll over the Bears. Green Bay's ability to win games in Chicago was particularly embarrassing to the league's flagship franchise.
While Love and the Packers lost two of three games to the Bears last season, the Packers were not ready to surrender the top dog status in the series. Green Bay came through with its best game of the season and dominated the Bears.
It had to be very satisfying to LaFleur, who had heard all the talk about Johnson becoming the latest NFL genius.
Packers make statement on both sides of the ball
The Bears had been favored to walk into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers on their home field. While they were only looked at as a very short-priced favorite, it was still something of an insult to the home team. The Bears had not been favored at Green Bay since 2006, the year the Bears last went to the Super Bowl.
There was a perception before the game that Johnson was the NFL's resident young genius and that LaFleur was struggling to keep the Packers afloat and he really had no answers for their multiple problems.
Johnson had put it out there for all of the football world to hear. “I kind of enjoy beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson said.
The Packers had been humiliated at home in Week 3 as the Falcons had run all over them and pounded them by 21 points on their homefield. While Green Bay rebounded with a win over the Jets the following week, they had been all-out to beat a team that has been struggling for years and can almost always be penciled in for a losing season.
LaFleur was not about to give in to the talk of the Bears' growth and accept the perception that the two teams were traveling in opposite directions in the NFC North standings. He knew there was a way to win their Week 5 matchup and it really had nothing to do with revenge, anger or any other emotional factor.
Green Bay took advantage of key matchups
The Packers had a quarterback in Love who has one of the best arms in the NFL. He throws an exceptional deep pass when his offensive line gives him time to set up in the pocket and step into his throw.
On the other hand, the Bears pass defense is extremely vulnerable. That came to the surface throughout the game as Love torched the secondary for 60 minutes.
Article Continues BelowLove had his best game of the season and perhaps his best game in a couple of years. He completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards with a pair of TD passes to Christian Watson.
Both Watson and Matthew Golden spent the majority of the game tormenting the Bears. Watson caught 6 passes for 143 yards and Golden also ha 6 receptions for 123 yards. Both Watson and Golden are speed receivers who showed the ability to get behind the secondary. They punished the Bears.
Johnson's cocky attitude came back to bite him
Johnson's ability to build a successful offense came to the surface during his run as the Lions' offensive coordinator. The Lions were the best team in the NFC by a wide margin during the 2024 regular season, and Johnson gained much of the credit for the team's offensive dominance.
The Bears came calling in the following offseason and Johnson was thrilled. He wanted to take the Bears to the top and he wanted to beat the archrival Packers in the process. He made no secret of those desires.
While his first year was a clear success, his second year has not been as effective. He has already lost to the Vikings as well as LaFleur and the Packers.
Johnson has given LaFleur plenty of fuel to slow down Chicago's rise in the NFC North. The aggressive Bears coach may have overpromised his team's capabilities. LaFleur and the Packers are smiling broadly.