If Chicago Bears fans point their ears towards Wisconsin, they might be able to hear a pin drop, a much different type of sound after all the noise being heard throughout the week.
There was a lot of talk from Green Bay Packers players and coaches about getting revenge and remembering everything the Bears did in the Week 16 overtime win. Chicago made sure to silence them with an 18-point comeback win, 31-27, in the NFC Wild Card game to send them back home empty-handed.
Bears safety Kevin Byard spoke about the Bears and how they heard all that talk from the Packers. Byard and his team were ready to quiet them down.
“There was a lot of s**t-talking this week, you know what I mean? And not even just today," Byard said via Marquee Sports Network's Scott Bair. "During the week. We heard the noise from Christian (Watson), and Keisean Nixon, and all the guys talking shit. Even the DC was talking about, telling the media in Green Bay that ‘we’ll see you next week.’ We heard that loud and clear.”
Kevin Byard and the Bears quieted the noise to zero from Packers
It was not a pretty first half for the Bears, as they were bad in all three phases, trailing 21-3 at halftime. Chicago ended up storming back, thanks to 25 points in the fourth quarter, to bring them back from the dead and advance to the Divisional Round to play the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bears' defense was not in great shape overall, as Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, with plenty of tough moments for the secondary. It's the one aspect of the team that has to improve, with guys like Byard, Jaylon Johnson, and Nahshon Wright struggling a bit in coverage, but to their credit, they got the job done when it mattered most on the last drive, stopping.
This rivalry was taken to a whole new level as the Bears were able to accomplish what head coach Ben Johnson enjoys doing the most: beating the Packers twice in a season. That's a trend Chicago would love to keep going.
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Now with the quiet Packers out of the way, it's all about improving and getting ready to play one of the best teams in the NFL with the Rams coming into town.