For many reasons, the Green Bay Packers’ 17-9 victory against the Chicago Bears in Week 18 was a significant finish to the 2023 NFL regular season. The most crucial of these reasons, of course, is that Green Bay is headed to the playoffs. Jordan Love, the Packers’ starting quarterback in his rookie season, has weathered every storm, proven all critics wrong, and cemented himself as the team’s long-term starter.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love has the third-best season for a first-year starter in NFL history.
While entering the playoffs is the most essential reason for the triumph, there are a few more worth mentioning for, well, bragging rights. The Packers-Bears rivalry is one of the most storied in sports. The social media revolution, which allows everyone to express themselves from behind a screen, has empowered players and supporters. As a result, the rivalry’s fires are heated to temperatures comparable to the Biblical blazing furnace.
In 2019, Matt LaFleur was named head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Since then, the Packers have defeated the Bears ten times in a row. That’s right: LaFleur is a perfect 10-0 as a head coach against the Bears.
As remarkable as that is, one player on the club has an even better record versus the Chicago Bulls, and he let them know after the game.
Preston Smith of the Green Bay Packers owns the Chicago Bears.
The arrival of LaFleur in Green Bay coincided with the arrival of a redesigned defense. General manager Brian Gutekunst signed Za’Darius Smith, Adrian Amos, and Preston Smith that offseason. Preston is the only one of those three who is still on the roster.
Smith now has a 12-0 record against the Bears dating back to his days with the Washington Commanders, thanks to his 10 wins as a Packer. And he told them everything about it after the game on X (previously Twitter):
Smith has accumulated 66 sacks during his career. 7.5 of them, or more than 10%, have come against Chicago.
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