PREVIEW – Playoffs: Bears vs. Green Bay Packers – Round 3
Saturday night will likely be one of the most stressful, emotional, and electric nights the city of Chicago has had in a decade.
The Chicago Bears are hosting the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Weekend of the NFL Playoffs: prime-time (pun intended), Al Michaels on the call.
The result of this game will trigger a year-long period of suffering for one of these fan bases, even if the winner is simply eliminated next week in the Divisional Round. Everyone knows what is at stake here. Yes, of course, teams are trying to win a Super Bowl. For a handful of organizations, it won’t matter if they lose in the Wild Card round or Divisional or even the conference championship – the result of the season will be a failure.
For Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Matthew Stafford and the LA Rams, the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, the 49ers, and even perhaps Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers… anything short of a Super Bowl will be a failure. They have been in the dance year after year; at some point, the organization and the fan base stop caring about moral victories. They’re not trying to continue to build momentum within a core of players or a coaching staff – they already have it. It’s all or nothing.
This Bears-Packers game is different, though.
You could even argue it will be the most meaningful game of the NFL Playoffs this season.
A Chicago Bears loss would not only be devastating for the fan base and what we will have to endure until next season, but it would also present some deja vu that could cause anxiety. A first-year head-coach that will be in the running to win coach of the year with a young quarterback in year two having a surprising run to the NFC North division title – losing in the first round of the playoffs at home … sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
People might be underestimating just how impactful a loss in this game could be for the Green Bay Packers.
Since the departure of Aaron Rodgers, Lambeau Field hasn’t hosted a playoff game. Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur have not won the NFC North, and this is the third straight season as the 7th seed (missed playoffs in 2022) with just the one playoff win against the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. Packers fans and media have already shown some frustration towards Matt LaFleur throughout this season – LaFleur was even asked directly about his job security during a media session back in November. Jordan Love signed a 4-year / $220M deal and would be a $100M dead cap hit this off-season. It’s safe to say you’re not making a change at quarterback.
When you have already traded multiple future first-rounders to acquire Micah Parsons and your quarterback is on an expensive deal, what change is there to make other than coaching? Would Matt LaFleur survive losing not only as the 7th seed again, but to the NFC North champion Chicago Bears?
If the first two matchups this season were any indication of what Saturday night is going to be like….well, there’s a reason why the NFL put the Bears-Packers on Saturday night.
Whichever team comes out on top in this game, it’s fun knowing that the Bears-Packers rivalry is alive and well. Football is better when these two teams are good.
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