I think the Green Bay Packers are ready to implode. 

Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ promise back in 2022 to “take the North and never give it back” became somewhat of a running joke online as the Bears took years just to compete for a division title. 

The tide changed last year. Ben Johnson arrived, took a jab at Packers coach Matt LaFleur immediately and the rivalry was renewed. 

“To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson said when he was introduced in January 2025.

Then the Bears ended the Packers’ season in dramatic fashion in a come-from-behind miracle win at Soldier Field in the playoffs. It feels as if Green Bay is still reeling from the domino effect of that game. 

There is blood in the water – and I’ve been smelling it for weeks.

A RARE YEAR

While it feels like the Bears and Packers are destined to be on a collision course in the playoffs every year going forward, history suggests that probably won’t be the case. 

Last postseason was only the third time in the storied history of the Bears-Packers rivalry in which they met in the playoffs. The two other instances were in 2011 and 1941. All three matchups came down to the final possession. 

In fact, the Bears are 2-1 against the Packers – and somehow they only led for one minute, 46 seconds combined in all three games.

DIVISION OF LABOR

The Bears still have work to do. The NFC North has been one of the toughest divisions in the NFL over the last three years. 

In 2025, the NFC North had the most combined wins for a division in NFL history. It became only the second division ever to end the season with all four teams having a winning record. 

And this year, the NFC North leads all divisions in wins with 11 after four weeks.

A BIT DECEIVING

While it’s true, the NFC North is still churning out wins. I think if you peel back the layers, you can see the cracks in the foundation. 

While the Vikings lead the NFC North with a stellar defense, this is an offensive league. They’re 32nd in yards per play, Kyler Murray is 30th among 30 qualifiers in QBR and their offense hasn’t scored a touchdown in two of their four games this season. And yet, Minnesota is 4-0. 

Meanwhile, the Lions are having major trouble of their own, sitting at 2-2 early this season. But the bigger issues are their defensive rankings. 

It’s not good at all.

After four games, Detroit ranked 32nd in the following categories: points allowed per game, total yards allowed per game, passing yards allowed per game, third-down percentage and on fourth down. The Lions also have given up the most first downs.

THEN YOU HAVE THE PACKERS

Since the Packers defeated the Bears last season at Lambeau Field in Week 16, the Packers have lost seven of their last nine games – including the playoff loss at the hands of Ben Johnson.

Even in their two wins, things have just felt… off.

If the eye test isn’t enough, the numbers show it as well. 

The Packers rank last in rushing yards, yards per carry, rushing first downs, yards after contact and explosive rushing plays. They’re also 32nd in Pro Football Focus’ rushing grades.

THE SMELL TEST

Something stinks in Green Bay. The toxic odor of a once proud organization feels like it’s starting to spoil. 

The Packers have had to navigate an off-the-field incident involving running back Josh Jacobs for several months. Jacobs was arrested by the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department in Brown County, Wisconsin and booked on five domestic battery-related charges in May.

From a personnel standpoint, the Packers lost a lot of players that had been a part of the organization for quite some time, including outside linebacker Rashan Gary, center Elgton Jenkins, linebacker Quay Walker, receiver Romeo Doubs, offensive tackle Rasheed Walker and others.  While the Packers were hoping for upgrades at their positions, it always felt like a lot of holes to fill. 

Then you still have the scars of the playoff loss. Players still feel like they have to answer for that loss to Chicago even as recently as this week in their locker room as they get set for the next chapter in this rivalry. The players came off as defensive when they talked about it. 

LaFleur seemed to want no part of it, saying “the rivalry is about the players on the field.” It was an obvious shot at Johnson. Yet, I feel like Green Bay fans would prefer it if their head coach would just fight back instead of taking the high road. 

Never mind the fact that superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons, who they pushed their chips all in for at the start of last season, is hurt and may not return until November.

Things are just off in Wisconsin.

THE FANS ARE ACTING WEIRD

If there is one thing I can say I’m an expert on, it’s knowing what a panicked, desperate fanbase looks like. I know what it’s like to dismiss anything my superior rival does. I know what it’s like to spend all offseason writing checks my team ultimately can’t cash. I know what it’s like to root for a team with bad decision makers, that makes excuses for head coaches that get outcoached, that has players who underperform and that continually disappoints as a whole.

 If you listen to the local radio stations in Wisconsin, you hear fans that no longer carry that sense of booming confidence. I had a Green Bay fan literally tweet at me this week, saying, “If the Bears don’t win by 21+ in Green Bay on Sunday, that’s a huge choke job for the Bears.” 

Imagine that. We now live in a world where a Packers fan is saying that, knowing the Bears are coming to their house with a backup quarterback in Tyson Bagent. It certainly feels like a new reality we are entering.

THEN YOU HAVE THE BEARS

The Bears are the complete opposite of everything the Packers have become. The players play tough. The coaches are smart. The team is relentless. The organization feels focused. The Bears used to have a quarterback curse in this city. And the Bears have three wins in their first four games with three different quarterbacks. 

THE BEARS!

After scoring a historic 59 points in Week 1, the Bears were handed the cards they have normally been dealt with earth-shattering bad luck – the kind of luck that used to wipe out teams in Chicago for a decade.

Your franchise quarterback is down, and he’s holding his leg. Will Caleb Williams be out for the season? 

That was a question Bears fans had to ask themselves just a couple of weeks ago during their Week 2 loss against the Vikings. 

Since then, the Bears have won two games with two backup quarterbacks and Williams is in good spirits with an eye on returning soon. The Bears didn’t blink. Their bad luck didn’t deter them. They just kept on trucking along.

SHOWDOWN IN LAMBEAU

And now we have arrived at this weekend in Green Bay. The moment of truth. It feels like a true turning-of-the-tide moment for two organizations going in two different directions. 

Will Green Bay get off the mat? I have my doubts. 

Can the Bears step on the throats of an organization that has tortured them for the better part of three decades? I’ve never been more confident than I am now.

BLOOD IN THE WATER

Maybe my senses are heightened. After all, some sharks can detect a single drop of blood in 25 million drops of water. But something tells me there are more than a few drops in Green Bay. I’m going to Lambeau to see (and smell) it for myself.