Bear Digest

Bad blood from last game with Bears still fresh on Packers' minds

Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs says the Packers remember how their quarterback was knocked out of the last matchup against the Bears.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears defensive end Austin Booker sacks and hurts Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
Bears defensive end Austin Booker sacks and hurts Packers quarterback Jordan Love. | Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

A warning shot seems to have been fired over the Bears' bow by the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love was knocked out of the Week 16 game against the Bears with a concussion on a hit by Bears defensive end Austin Booker.

Booker did have his helmet lowered and led with it, and there was helmet-to-helmet contact. He was fined $5,818 for the hit and another $5,818 for another hit earlier in the game not involving his helmet. Whether it would have happened if Love had not lowered is helmet at the last second is open for debate.

Regardless the Packers are reportedly still unhappy about the play, reported Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

"I know a lot of guys took that hit that he took a little personal," running back Josh Jacobs said, according to Schneidman. "So I'm not saying we gon' go out there and play dirty or nothing like that, but we definitely gonna defend our brother."

Booker was assessed two $5,818 fines by the league after two hits on Love. The first one did not involve his helmet.  

Jacobs might a little late with his warning because the Bears already addressed this issue.

They weren't happy with what happened either, mainly because of the two 15-yard penalties they received.

“Understanding that the personal foul penalties almost hurt us in  the last (Packers) game, so we can't have that this week," safety Kevin Byard said this week. "That's something that we're going to be talking about as a team.

"The intensity level is going to be there. I mean it's Green Bay at Soldier Field. I mean it's the emotions are going to be high, it's going to be a super exciting atmosphere, but also understand it's playoffs. The refs are probably going to call it a little tighter. There are more eyes on the game. It's going to be a national televised game. So just understanding all those elements and making sure that you're playing smart, taking it all the way up into that line, don't cross the line but taking it all the way up there because that's the intensity that's going to be needed to win this game.”

Booker is not the type of player to turn docile because of a fine.

"He's got some pass rush value for us, and the thing about him is he's tough, he's gritty, he fights," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "He's a little undersized, so there's sometimes where, just from a size, strength, power matchup, it's not advantageous to him and yet he fights. He plays extremely hard. And so those are a good starting point for us.”

Booker had seven tackles, half a sack and a QB hit in that game.

Whether losing Love actually hurt the Packers in that one isn't clear. He is the starter but he was 8 of 13 for 77 yards before leaving. Malik Willis went 9 of 11 for 121 yards with a touchdown and ran 10 times for 44 yards.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.