Ben Johnson’s Taunt of Matt LaFleur Back in Headlines Ahead of Packers-Bears Showdown
The Green Bay Packers are rolling with three consecutive wins, including their last two over NFC North opponents in the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. But perhaps the biggest test will come Sunday, December 7 when they host the division-leading
Chicago (9-3) held onto its half-game lead over Green Bay (8-3-1) with a road victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Friday. The Bears and Packers have yet to square off in 2025, but will now do so twice in three weeks. Those two contests may well determine who wins the division, guarantees themselves at least one home playoff game and stays in the hunt for conference’s No. 1 seed and sole postseason bye with the likes of the
The exceedingly high stakes and storied rivalry between Green Bay and Chicago offer the looming showdown as much juice as it could ever need, but there is more on the line, nevertheless. First-year Bears head coach
However, while he was effusive in his praise for Dan Campbell and Kevin O’Connell, Johnson took a shot at the Packers’ Matt LaFleur.
The sound byte from Ben Johnson’s introductory press conference as Chicago’s head coach that will be replayed over and over until the Bears play at Green Bay next Sunday:
“I’ve got [a] tremendous amount of respect for the coaches and players in this [division], having competed against them for the last six years. Dan Campbell and Kevin O’Connell, you’re talking about two guys who are up for Coach of the Year awards as the season ends here,”
Ben Johnson, Matt LaFleur Both Among Top Offensive Minds in NFL
GettyChicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
While Johnson was clearly taunting LaFleur to a degree, it was also a sign of flattery. Johnson spent the previous three years building his reputation as among the best and most-gifted offensive minds in the
Things have changed somewhat in 2025, at least in terms of results, as LaFleur has proven a more cautious play-caller due to several factors — most notably injuries to top skill-position talent and a considerable step back with regards to the performance of the offensive line as a unit.
Heading into Week 13, Pro Football Focus ranked the Packers’ O-line 17th in the league, which technically puts the group in the below-average category. However, those rankings could change following a 31-24 defeat of the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Wide receiver
Packers Defense Against Bears Offense Is Strength-on-Strength Matchup
GettyEdge-rusher Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers.
That said, the Bears’ offensive line entered this week as the 4th-best unit in PFF’s rankings and did nothing to lower its position after the team amassed
Chicago started its game in Philly as the league’s sixth-rated offense and second-rated run game
The Packers have absolutely owned the Bears for years, and Green Bay’s exceptional defense (
Johnson has Chicago playing well enough that he could contend for the Coach of the Year award if the Bears finish the season strong, though LaFleur and company will have two chances to shut Johnson up over the next three weeks.
Eagles’ Nick Sirianni Sends Strong Message on Playcalling After ‘Fire Kevin’ Chants
Nick Sirianni was faced with some tough questions on Friday evening. The Philadelphia Eagles head coach was left searching for answers after his team lost to the Bears 24-15 at home on Black Friday, dropping them to 8-4 on the season and falling behind Chicago in the NFC playoff picture.
The Eagles have now lost back-to-back games for the second time this season, losing to the Cowboys on Sunday 24-21 despite going up 21-0 to start the game. With Dallas winning at home over the Chiefs on Thanksgiving, Philly is just a game and a half up in the NFC East with five games to go.
The offense struggled for most of the loss to the Bears, putting up only 15 points despite totaling 317 yards. The Eagles struggled to finish drives, and All-Pro RB Saquon Barkley had just 13 carries, bringing the playcalling into question.
Philadelphia Eagles HC Nick Sirianni on OC Kevin Patullo’s Job Security
Mitchell Leff/GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 28: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field on November 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
One man under a lot of scrutiny in Philadelphia right now is offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. The Eagles entered the week ranking 24th in total offense and 18th in scoring offense, but they now lead the league in three-and-outs and have trouble moving the ball consistently despite their talent.
“No, we’re not changing the playcaller,” Sirianni said during he press conference after the game. Fans could be heard chanting “Fire Kevin” at various times throughout the game. “But we will evaluate everything. And that’s what this weekend — we’ll have another little mini bye, and that’s another, y’know, short week that leads to a long weekend where we’ll evaluate everything. But again, like I said, after that, it’s never just about one person. Right? You win as a team, you lose as a team, and you try and evaluate everything. Win, lose, or draw. And [you] get better from it.”
“Again, I have confidence in the entire group,” Sirianni reiterated. “Again. And I know it’ll keep coming back to Kevin, but again, if I thought it was one thing then [I’d] make those changes. Obviously, it’s a lot of different things. But yeah, I don’t think it is Kevin. Now, we all have a part in it — Kevin has a part of it, I have a part of it, all the coaches have a part of it, all the players have a part of it. Again, you win and lose as a team. It’s never about one thing.
The Philadelphia Eagles Still Have the Inside Track to Win the NFC East
Despite all the bad vibes in Philadelphia right now, the Eagles are still in control of their division. With games left against the Chargers, Raiders, Commanders, Bills, and Commanders, it’s a reasonable remaining schedule in Philly. The Eagles should be favored in at least three — and maybe four — of those games. The matchup in Week 17 in Buffalo is the only game they are likely to be underdogs in.
However, should the Cowboys overtake the Eagles in the NFC East, Philadelphia could be in trouble. They are currently tied with the No. 7 seed 49ers at 8-4, just a game up on the Lions at 7-5 who are knocking at the door. In an extremely competitive NFC playoff race, a handful more losses could put Philly’s playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.
