What a Potential NFC North Rivalry Rematch Would Look Like
The Chicago Bears are officially in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They’ve also now won the NFC North for the first time since 2018, ending another drought. In his first year as the Bears' head coach, Ben Johnson has ended a tough stretch of losing, giving fans who have been desperate to be competitive once again hope. After defeating their rival, the Green Bay Packers, a week ago at Soldier Field, the Bears’ seeding scenarios have trickled down to just a few possibilities. One of these scenarios could potentially involve a rivalry rematch between Chicago and Green Bay, which would be their third time playing and the first time this has happened since 2011.
The only scenario where Chicago could be the NFC’s first seed is if they win out and the Seattle Seahawks lose one more game out of the two they have left. They currently sit with the second seed, which stands to be their most likely outcome. The Packers are locked into the seventh seed after a crushing loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night. Fans of both teams should be preparing for another internet-breaking game that can give one team bragging rights for a very long time. If these two teams meet again, however, what will things look like this time around?
Assuming both teams can stay healthy in these final stretch of regular season games, they’d have players back that they didn’t have in game two. Quarterback Caleb Williams was missing two of his top receivers in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. The Bears have also continued not to have cornerback Kyler Gordon on the defensive side of the ball, a player who has dealt with injuries all season. His return could potentially bring some huge upside to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense. On the other side of things, the Packers lost their starting quarterback, Jordan Love, in the second quarter. They also played some players dealing with injuries, with wide receiver Romeo Doubs and running back Josh Jacobs. After being defeated by the Ravens, head coach Matt LaFleur has the decision to rest his starters in Week 18, as their seeding is already locked in with nothing else to play for. A healthier Packers team could lead to better results, but the same can be said for Chicago. Both games this season came down to the wire, and a healthy version of both teams only means another close game is ahead. This time, however, the loser will pack their bags for the offseason.
