Bears Coach Ben Johnson Denies Rivalry Tension After Quick Handshake with Packers' Matt LaFleur. The rivalry between the Bears and Packers is set to intensify in two weeks, but Bears coach Ben Johnson downplayed any tension after a quick handshake with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur following Sunday's game.
The teams are set to meet again at Soldier Field on December 20, and LaFleur acknowledged that their previous encounter had generated some talk. "It was a quick handshake, and we'll see them again in two weeks," he said.
However, Johnson seemed to suggest that the rivalry is more about the teams themselves rather than any personal animosity between the coaches. "That feels like every handshake I have at the end of a game," he said. The Bears coach also expressed confidence in his team's ability to compete with the Packers in close games, saying they had been playing hard for 60 minutes and would make things interesting in the fourth quarter.
The Packers' victory on Sunday has put them in a strong position to win the NFC North division, while the Bears are looking to secure an entry spot into the playoffs. The team's focus is now on their upcoming game against the Browns, but it remains unclear whether they can overcome their recent struggles.
Despite Johnson's downplaying of the rivalry tension, the Packers' head coach, Matt LaFleur, seemed to suggest that there was more to it than just a simple handshake. When asked if he felt any personal satisfaction after what Johnson had said about beating him 2x a year, LaFleur said "Absolutely not. It's Packers-Bears."
The two coaches will meet again at midfield next Sunday, and the NFL world is watching their encounter with great interest.
The teams are set to meet again at Soldier Field on December 20, and LaFleur acknowledged that their previous encounter had generated some talk. "It was a quick handshake, and we'll see them again in two weeks," he said.
However, Johnson seemed to suggest that the rivalry is more about the teams themselves rather than any personal animosity between the coaches. "That feels like every handshake I have at the end of a game," he said. The Bears coach also expressed confidence in his team's ability to compete with the Packers in close games, saying they had been playing hard for 60 minutes and would make things interesting in the fourth quarter.
The Packers' victory on Sunday has put them in a strong position to win the NFC North division, while the Bears are looking to secure an entry spot into the playoffs. The team's focus is now on their upcoming game against the Browns, but it remains unclear whether they can overcome their recent struggles.
Despite Johnson's downplaying of the rivalry tension, the Packers' head coach, Matt LaFleur, seemed to suggest that there was more to it than just a simple handshake. When asked if he felt any personal satisfaction after what Johnson had said about beating him 2x a year, LaFleur said "Absolutely not. It's Packers-Bears."
The two coaches will meet again at midfield next Sunday, and the NFL world is watching their encounter with great interest.
the rivalry b/w bears & packers its all about da teams themselves not some personal beef btw i think lafleur took it too far wit dat "absolutely not" comment 
like cmon matt u cant be serious 
i mean, cant they just keep it cool and focused on the game? its all about the teams not personal animosity, right? 
anyway, its gonna be super intense when they meet up again at soldier field on dec 20th! 
. When he said it's just about the teams themselves, I'm not so sure 
. And honestly, it kinda works 
. The coaches are saying one thing, but we can tell there's still some undercurrents to their comments 
. It's gonna be super interesting to see how this all plays out on the field next Sunday 
️!
Ben Johnson seems legit when he says there's no personal tension, but Matt LaFleur comes off as kinda salty after Johnson called him out on beating him 2x a year 
can't wait to see what happens next sunday!!!
. Still, it's only two weeks until they face off again and we'll see how all this plays out... 
️
. Coach Johnson seems to be saying that just because they have a big game coming up, people are expecting them to be all salty towards each other, but I don't think that's true at all. And let's be real, Packers-Bears is an old rivalry, it's been going on for years, so you gotta expect some trash talk 
. Anyway, I'm just excited to see these two teams go head-to-head again - should be a great game! 
matt lafleur seemed pretty salty when ben said they beat him 2x a year lol like yeah no kidding who wouldn't be salty about that? 
. The Packers are definitely in a strong position to win the NFC North, but the Bears are still hungry for that playoff spot 
2 weeks to go for Soldier Field, got my popcorn ready 
... ben johnson sounds like a pretty chill dude tho, no need to get worked up about it 
! The rivalry between these two teams is literally electric 
idc what Ben says, we know Packers are gonna crush Bears again 
. But sometimes it's just about being professional and acknowledging the other team's existence. Coach Johnson seems like a wise guy for not letting the rivalry get under his skin 
.
guess he's not buying into all that rivalry talk 
Bears still gotta pull off a miracle to make playoffs 
LaFleur's all about the team too