Ahead of a critical matchup with the Packers, the Chicago Bears are dishing out "4th phase" towels to fans at Soldier Field.
Saturday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers is the biggest regular-season matchup the Chicago Bears have played in at least seven years.
With a win, the Bears would improve to 11–4, keep their hopes of securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC alive, and—most importantly—pull out to a 1.5-game lead in the division.
Chicago would also be one Detroit Lions loss away from clinching a playoff spot. Failing that, the Bears could still punch their ticket with one more win of their own over the final two weeks—or another Packers loss.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. And for Bears fans, it’s refreshing to feel like this rivalry truly matters again.
Inside the building, the Bears understand exactly what’s on the line.
Head coach Ben Johnson told the media that he didn’t even need to deliver a motivational message this week. His team knows what this game means—and what the mission is.
Of course, exorcising demons and beating the Packers is far easier said than done. Chicago will need every ounce of support it can get from the crowd at Soldier Field—a venue where the Bears have won their last five games.
Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was among the players urging fans to show up in full force Saturday night.
“Show up and show out,” Jarrett said in a message to Bears fans. “It needs to be the loudest game we’ve had all season. We need to rock that stadium. Soldier Field needs to be shaking.”
“We’re going to need them out in full force,” Ben Johnson said of the fans. “There’s no question they can impact the game. They did last week … that was so encouraging to see. I know our guys fed off it. Multiple guys made comments after the game, and we’re going to need that going forward.”
And the Bears are going the extra mile to ensure that home-field advantage reaches another level.
Everyone knows the three phases of football: offense, defense, and special teams. On Saturday night, the Bears are adding a fourth—the crowd.
Senior team writer Larry Mayer revealed Friday afternoon that the Bears will issue special towels to fans entering the stadium.
“All fans attending Saturday night’s game will receive ‘4th Phase’ towels to wave while creating deafening noise when the Bears are on defense and remaining silent when quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense are on the field," wrote Mayer at ChicagoBears.com.
Everything is lining up for a playoff-level atmosphere at Soldier Field on Saturday night—the noise, the towels, the sellout crowd, and legitimate postseason stakes.
And with a win, Chicago would come close to guaranteeing another home playoff game in front of the best fans in sports.