GREEN BAY, Wis. (104.3 The Score) – By the end of another lost Sunday for the Bears at Lambeau Field, all that was worth watching was the handshake between the head coaches.
After all the talk between Chicago and Green Bay and the animosity permeating in the longstanding rivalry, the Bears were blasted by the Packers, 31-7, on Sunday afternoon. Just when it seemed the Bears might be taking control of the rivalry after winning the final two games between the teams last season, the Packers served up some humble pie.
Sunday was the Bears’ worst performance in head coach Ben Johnson’s two-year tenure in Chicago. It was just one game, but the listless effort seemed to be a setback in regards to what Johnson has been building in Chicago.
"We're a really good football team," Bears quarterback Case Keenum said. "It didn't show today."
The game was every bit as lopsided as the 24-point differential showed. The Packers pounded the Bears from start to finish.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love picked apart the Bears' defense, going 25-of-31 for 367 yards and two touchdowns. He completed five passes of more than 30 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown pass to receiver Christian Watson in the third quarter to give Green Bay a 20-7 lead.
As for the Bears, starting quarterback Caleb Williams was sorely missed as he was sidelined for a third straight game by a hamstring injury. Tyson Bagent (12-of-21 for 87 yards and two interceptions) was benched early in the fourth quarter in favor of Keenum, who wasn't much better in going 11-of-19 for 108 yards and an interception.
For the 26-year-old Bagent, getting benched in a rare starting opportunity was a painful pill to swallow.
"You don't last very long in this league if you don't know how to get up when you had your ass kicked," Keenum said. "That's just the way it is. There's really good players, really good coaches, really good teams. If you last long enough, it's just a matter of time, at some point you're going to get your ass kicked.
"It's about how you respond – how you respond the next day, the next week and every day after that. I expect him to respond how he knows how to, and he can. This is just adversity to learn from. It's an opportunity to grow, learn from your mistakes, move on and not make them again."
A Bears win without their starting quarterback against their rival would’ve underscored Johnson’s coaching acumen. Instead, he was looking inward after the game in assessing how the team’s performance went sideways.
The Bears failed to get their running game moving, rushing 24 times for just 81 yards. Running back D'Andre Swift had just nine carries for 43 yards and the team’s lone score. A Johnson-led offense that prides itself in producing explosive plays had just two gains of 20 yards or more Sunday, with both of those coming on throws by Keenum late after the game had been decided.
At halftime, Johnson told the Bears' radio network, "We got to play f---ing better." His words inside the locker room were surely just as strong, but nothing improved in the second half as the Packers put their collective foot on the gas.
Johnson's message to the Bears after the game was more measured. His tone was quiet, and his demeanor was seemingly humbled.
"I believe in this coaching staff, I believe in our players and I believe in our process," Johnson said, reiterating his words to the team. "So, the process doesn't change. The process doesn't change. It's Week 5. I know we'll respond the right way. We got the right guys in this building."
Responding to this loss starts at the quarterback position. Williams could potentially return for the Bears when they visit the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday, with Johnson reiterating that his rehab remains on track before using the word “close” to describe whether Williams will be fully ready in a week. Williams returned to practice this past Friday for the first time since suffering his injury on Sept. 20. The next step is for him to make it through a full week of practice without experiencing a setback.
By Wednesday, the Bears will need to determine whether they’ll be preparing Williams, Bagent or Keenum with the first-team reps.
After an ugly showing like the Bears had Sunday, Johnson will have plenty more on his mind too.
Back on Jan. 10, after the Bears rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Packers in the wild-card round of the playoffs, Johnson blew by Packers head coach LaFleur with a brief handshake, then returned to the home locker room and declared, "F--- the Packers." It was the pinnacle of Johnson's tenure with the Bears.
Throughout a joyous summer in Chicago, sports fans chanted "Green Bay sucks" at baseball games while still celebrating the Bears' breakthrough 2025 season. So, perhaps it was only fitting that late in the fourth quarter with the game long decided, Packers fans began chanting for the Brewers, who were set to host Game 1 of the National League Championship Series later Sunday evening.
Green Bay enjoyed a cathartic showing by its beloved Packers, and LaFleur had the upper hand on Johnson on this day.
It was just one game, but it was the worst that Johnson has endured with the Bears.
"Your identity is getting forged sometimes through fire, and it was in the fire today," Keenum said. "We'll see what kind of identity we have coming out of the back end of this thing.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
