Bear Digest

Did Bears' Ben Johnson end Matt LaFleur's coaching career with Packers?

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has done some remarkable things in Year 1 with the team, and he may have just changed the coaching dynamic in the NFC North.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson has done some incredible things during his rookie year as a head coach. He flipped the Bears from a five-win team into an 11-win NFC North champion. He led Chicago to the No. 2 seed, and, on Saturday night, their first playoff win since 2010.

The Bears toppled the Green Bay Packers, 31-27, in remarkable comeback fashion. It was a game for the ages, and one that already cemented Johnson's name into Chicago Bears lore. With Soldier Field set to host the NFC Divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams, Johnson has a chance to add another chapter to this ongoing fairytale first year.

Baked into all of this success was something else that Johnson may have accomplished this year. There's a chance that for the second year in a row, he created a massive shift in the NFC North coaching landscape.

Last year, it was Johnson leaving the Detroit Lions to join the Bears. We see how that went. Now, the Bears' Wild Card win over the Packers could cause the team and coach Matt LaFleur to part ways.

The two sides are expected to meet to discuss LaFleur's future sometime soon. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Packers and LaFleur are expected to try to work out a deal to keep him in Title Town.

However, things don't always go according to plan. And if LaFleur is as smart as he thinks he is, he'd start thinking long and hard about whether he should stay in the NFC North and continue this yearly rivalry with Johnson.

It's already getting chippy.

“There was probably a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north to start the week, which we heard loud and clear, players and coaches alike. So this one meant something to us,” Johnson said of the Packers saying they were glad they drew the Bears in the Wild Card round.

Be careful what you wish for, right?

Perhaps LaFleur will sign a multi-year deal and stay with the Packers for the foreseeable future. Had Green Bay defeated the Bears, this wouldn't even be a discussion.

Welcome to the Ben Johnson effect.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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