(670 The Score) While most in the NFC North were happy to see the Packers trade star receiver Davante Adams to the Raiders in March, that wasn’t the case for Bears third-year cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
That’s because he relished squaring off against Adams as a rookie in 2021. Johnson won’t get that chance when the Bears (1-0) visit the Packers (0-1) on Sunday night, though he’ll be just as prepared.
“I’m excited for the matchup,” Johnson said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show on Monday evening. “And it’s really like for me, I’m not going to say I’m not excited for the game and the matchup, but definitely my rival isn’t there anymore. I don’t have that juice and excitement of going against Davante Adams, just who he is to the game and him being that wide receiver and just having that big matchup. That’s really indescribable really as a feeling and the preparation it took to go into that. But definitely, having to adjust and see what the new adjustments are that they’re making with their new wide receiving corps and who their guys are and what they like to do.”
Green Bay beat Chicago in both matchups last season, winning 24-14 at Soldier Field in October and 45-30 at Lambeau Field in December. Adams had a combined 14 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns in the two games.
The challenge should be a tad easier on the Bears’ secondary this time around, though Johnson knows that can't change his mindset and that Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers will likely have a better rhythm than Green Bay had in a 23-7 loss to Minnesota in its opener Sunday.
“Clearly, they’re not him,” Johnson said of the Packers’ receivers. “So they’re going to have to change some things up. I’m just curious to see what those things are and start watching that film.”
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