Bear Digest

Bears legend puts Packers on blast ahead of Wild Card matchup

Matt Forte made a compelling case to think the Green Bay Packers are in over their heads.
Pete Martuneac|
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Despite a rivalry that stretches back over 100 years, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have met in the playoffs just twice so far. In 1941, the Bears beat the Packers 33-14 in the divisional round, and in 2011, the Packers beat the Bears 21-14. Perhaps the most intriguing note about the Bears-Packers playoff history is that in each matchup, the victor went on to win the whole enchilada (a Super Bowl for Green Bay, and an NFL Championship for Chicago).

On Saturday night, we will finally get the third postseason iteration of this rivalry, with no end of bragging rights up for grabs. The fans understand how important this game is, and the players and coaches know it, too. In fact, Bears-Packers III appeared to be on the players' minds immediately after their humiliating Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions. Not only will the winner advance in the playoffs, but they will claim a 2-1 postseason lead over the other side, and there's no telling when the loser will get a chance to even things up.

The trash-talking between fans and former players has already begun, and on Tuesday, legendary Bears running back Matt Forte appeared on the Up & Adams podcast with Kay Adams to give his two cents about this upcoming matchup. Spoiler alert: he doesn't think much of the team in Green Bay, and he didn't hold back in his analysis.

"The Packers are lackluster," said the two-time Pro Bowl running back. "They are a little overconfident in who they are."

The Bears-Packers rivalry has officially entered a new era

First things first, before Packers fans pile on Forte for this take, it should be noted that Forte is merely responding to what Packers legend LeRoy Butler said about the Bears, that they're "tired" and "have no answer for Christian Watson". Secondly, Forte made an excellent point when he went on to say that Packers fans and former players like Butler are "relying on the past to be predictors of the future". In that regard, Forte is 100% correct.

Not even the most die-hard Bears fan will deny that the Packers owned the Bears for the better part of 30 years, but the Bears are 2-2 against Green Bay since Caleb Williams arrived in Chicago, and each game came down to one deciding play. The weight of history may have Packers fans feeling confident, but that's in the past. None of those previous matchups tells us anything about how this Wild Card game will go.

The Packers very well may win on Saturday, and it will be a dark, dark day for Bears fans if they do. But Packers fans should be wary about talking too much trash ahead of the game. With Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson in Chicago, these aren't the same ol' Bears they're facing. A new era is dawning in Chicago, and you can bet that they would love to stamp this season with an exclamation point by claiming a postseason victory over their ancient foe.

Chicago Bear
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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