Tired of getting 'whupped,' Bears' defense eyes Packers QB Jordan Love, new running mate
Jaylon Johnson might be the only person in Chicago who wasn’t eager to share his opinion about the Bears’ offense this week.
After embattled head coach Matt Eberflus fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and replaced him with Thomas Brown, the Bears’ cornerback claimed this week he had no opinion about who called plays for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
“I want to win,” he said. “Frankly, I don’t give a damn who is the coach or the OC. If we’re winning games, we’re winning games.”
Particularly the next one Sunday at Soldier Field. The only player on the Bears’ roster who's win a rivalry game is long snapper Patrick Scales, who’s been on injured reserve all year. The Bears have lost 10 in a row to the Packers, the longest streak in series history.
“We’re looking to change history,” Eberflus said Friday. “That’s an important thing that we rally around. … We understand where the history is, and we have to be better there.”
Johnson was more blunt.
“We’ve been getting our ass whupped for a long time now,” he said. “I don’t have a win, so it would mean a lot to me.”
And to the rest of the Bears defense. Packers quarterback Jordan Love had his coming-out party against them in last year’s season opener. In a 38-20 win at Soldier Field, Love threw for 245 yards, three touchdowns and a 123.2 passer rating. He bookended his first full season with another dominant performance — needing to beat the Bears in the finale to reach the playoffs, he threw for 316 yards and a 128.6 passer rating. Both remain career highs.
Love has been vulnerable this season, though, throwing a league-high 10 interceptions and two pick sixes.
“I see the stats of him throwing interceptions and making some bad decisions … I mean, hopefully he does that in our game,” Johnson said. “But he could come out and have a helluva game against us. Overall, I still feel like he’s a good quarterback who makes some bad mistakes at times.”
Stellar Packers quarterback play is what's doomed the Bears' rivalry for two generations. The latest example: since Eberflus took over in 2022, Packers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Love have combined for a 117.9 passer rating against their rival. The Bears have held every other team in the league to an 85.6.
That’s yet another strike against Eberflus, and not just because he’s the defensive play-caller. His boss, chairman George McCaskey, has long judged his coaches by how they fare against the Packers.
This year, Love has a new running mate. Two years removed from leading the NFL in rushing with the Raiders, Josh Jacobs signed a four-year, $48 million deal in March. He provided stability this year when Love was hurt — the quarterback has played only 6 ½ games — and ranks fifth in the NFL with 84.7 yards per game.
“He looks quicker and faster this year as opposed to last year,” Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “Looks a lot more dynamic. Breaks a lot of tackles. …
“The last couple of years, I think he was finding his way back, finding his footing. Now, we're seeing the All-Pro, Pro Bowl-caliber player that we've seen from him previously. The confidence is there. He's very quick, hitting the holes downhill, physical.”
That’s a challenging proposition for a Bears defense that, just two weeks ago against the Cardinals, gave up their most rushing yards since the 2022 finale.
The secret is how Packers head coach Matt LaFleur makes run and pass plays look so similar.
“It’s [LaFleur’s] creativity … making things look the same and then mirroring different routes and different concepts of it,” Johnson said. “That, and the timing of certain calls.”
That’s the value of a good play-caller. Not that, after this week, the Bears need to be reminded.