What Bears Must Prove Against Packers Besides Cheese Graters and Chants

The Bears need to prove two things on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

As much as it would be nice for one of those to be that they can win one for the late Mike Ditka, it isn't one of them

Ben Johnson needs to prove these, as much as anyone because there will be limitations on what the team can accomplish without Caleb Williams. And make no mistake, Williams will be watching when this game unfolds. Despite the late-week limited practice he had, he isn't ready and the team won't risk injuring his hamstring until he's showing speed and range of motion in full practices.

More than anything else, the Bears and Johnson need to prove they can go toe to toe against the Packers for a full game and come out on top. They never did this last year.

Despite all of the celebration and cheese graters, and the chants by Bears fans of "Green Bay sucks" at all manner of events in the Chicago area, the Bears never did this last season. They won two out of three games and did win in the most ridiculous fashions possible.

When they lost the first game, they never led and trailed for 34:51 of the game. They did tie it in the fourth quarter but the Packers drove for the winning score and the last Bears drive ended on the interception Williams underthrew to Cole Kmet, who was open at the back of the end zone.

Proof is in Bears actually doing it

When they played the regular-season game in Chicago, they were tied for only 12:49 and led only on the game's final play, the 46-yard Williams bomb to DJ Moore in overtime. They were actually down for two scores in 7:45 of the game before their late miracle rally.

Then, in the playoff game, the Packers had complete control with a 21-3 lead just inside the two-minute warning of the first half. The Bears had led 3-0 but once they lost it they never regained it until 1:43 remained remained on Williams' 25-yard TD pass to Moore.

As much as the NFL is a league where games get decided late, it's not usually under any of those circumstances. The Bears never controlled anything in those games and didn't really battle blow for blow against the Packers. They needed miracle rallies to win two games and missed a chance to rally and win the first game after they were behind most of it.

As Johnson often says, you're not playing the 2025 season again. That's the past. However, the Bears' four decades of history with losing to the Packers says they must show they actually do have the upper hand in the series instead of assuming it.

The other thing they need to do in the game is show this same type of control for the NFC North. They won the division last year with a 2-4 record in it. That's not much of a division title, although they don't ask that question at season's end when you're wearing the belt.

They started this season with a loss in the division, even if it came after a fumble at the 1-yard line, a rare and ridiculous blocked field goal from in close after a whiffed block, and Williams' hamstring injury at the 6-yard line.

What Ditka would tell them

At some point, Johnson needs to show he actually can beat teams in the division. He's 1-3 against the Vikings as a head coach and 0-2 against the Lions. The Packers ar e the only team he has a winning record against at 2-1, and both wins were on the miraculous side as stated.

When the Bears hired Matt Nagy to coach the team, the late Mike Ditka gave him some advice.

"Win your division and beat Green Bay," is what Nagy said Ditka told him.

It's what Da Coach always preached.

Johnson has beaten Green Bay but he needs to "really" beat Green Bay. And the Bears definitely need to start controlling their division.

Accomplishing both Sunday would mean they really did represent Da Coach well.

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