This wild card rematch between NFC North foes is one of the more anticipated games to kick off the NFL playoffs.
The NFL playoffs will begin this weekend as the Wild Card round kicks off the postseason. One of the more anticipated matchups is between the No. 2 Chicago Bears and No. 7 Green Bay Packers on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET. The two NFC North teams went 1-1 against each other in the regular season, and rivals who face each other often tend to make for a gritty battle. The question for each team will be who sets the tone first? That could dictate what could potentially be a snowy playoff game.
For the Packers, they’ll need quarterback Jordan Love to show why they gave him such a monumental extension and play with confidence. When Love plays confidently, he takes care of the football and is sharp and decisive. That will be important if weather plays an element. Former Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy spoke recently about that command and poise being what Love needs to play with in the postseason to reach elite levels.
Here is the full story from Packers Roundtable writer Andrew Kulha on the former Green Bay coach that developed Aaron Rodgers and his insights on Love.
For the Bears, they’ll be looking to make sure this is “an all-out brawl for 60 minutes.” Chicago has been stout and clutch under new head coach Ben Johnson, with a season filled with fourth-quarter comebacks that brought them to an 11-6 finish, the AFC North title, and the No. 2 seed in the postseason. The Bears have been down and needed to rally multiple times this year – including their win in their last game against the Packers. The 16-6 deficit they rallied out of builds real toughness, and it’s the mentality Chicago will need to take into the playoffs.
Here is the full story from Bears Roundtable writer Grant Bricker on the mindset Johnson is looking to instill in his squad.
There’s a lot of history between these two teams, and it’s not the first, second, or third time Johnson will face off against the Bears. He faced them twice a year when he was offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Chicago hasn’t won a playoff game since 2011, and Johnson will get the opportunity to lead them to their first in this decade on Saturday night.