It may be stupid that the Packers are just now playing the Bears for the first time this season, but at least the game is going to matter.
I’m firmly of the opinion that things are better when Packers/Bears games matter, and for too long, they haven’t. The Bears are the Packers’ oldest rival, and functionally, they might be their only rival. The Lions and Vikings do not stand on equal historical footing with either the Packers or Bears. Neither of them have any kind of legacy of success, and although the Lions are a fairly old franchise, the Vikings are, at least in terms of the overall age of the NFL, still relatively new on the block compared to the Packers and Bears.
But Green Bay and Chicago have a century of history together, and that history matters most when both teams are playing well. Whether or not the Bears actually are playing well is a point of debate, but you can’t argue with the standings. Chicago is currently the top dog in the NFC North. They’re the obstacle between where the Packers are and where they want to be. The process of removing that obstacle starts on Sunday.
That adds some much-needed spice to what had been a pretty bland pairing over most of the last decade, and it’s a very welcome change.
The age of the Lions’ dominance in the NFC North is over, at least for this year. Now it’s up to the Packers and Bears to decide who’s on top.
Packers/Bears football is definitely more meaningful when both teams are good, and that finally seems to be the case.
The rest of the Packers’ defensive line isn’t just going to sit on their hands and cry about Devonte Wyatt being gone.
When Micah Parsons is doing work elsewhere on your defensive front, it’s a little easier to offset the loss of someone like Wyatt.
Things are getting real serious down the stretch in the 2025 NFL season.
Is it even Christmas if someone hasn’t stolen Jesus?