A year ago, the Chicago Bears ended their 2024 season in the most magical way imaginable. In a season that was lost from the jump, at least Chicago was able to beat the Green Bay Packers.
Forget the fact that it ended up being against a Jordan Love-less Packers squad, for a good chunk of that game. The Bears still won, and that's all that matters. Oddly enough, the Bears' latest victory over Green Bay came in similar fashion with Love getting knocked out and Willis taking over.
It is with this tone in mind, too, that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur made a big decision. Going into Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings, LaFleur made a key decision to bench his starting quarterback in Love. Instead, it was Clayton Tune who got the nod for Green Bay.
Asked after the loss to Minnesota (which didn't matter, anyway, to be transparent), LaFleur acknowledged that last year's game against the Bears played a role in deciding to bench not just Love, but many of his starters.
“I think we did the right thing today," he told Packers reporters after the regular season finale.
Matt LaFleur knows he's got a good chance of seeing Ben Johnson's Bears in a few days
Of course, heading into the NFL's final week of the regular season, the most likely outcome included Chicago hosting Green Bay in the NFC's Wild Card Round this coming weekend.
With the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams jockeying for the conference's top spot, along for the fifth and sixth seed, in the season's final week, all signs pointed to the Bears drawing the Packers in the NFC's no. 2 vs. no. 7 seeded matchup.
And, whether or not the Packers wound up playing Chicago, LaFleur knows he had to do the right thing in resting his starters, especially Love. Coming off his concussion suffered in that incredible comeback win by the Bears, Love very well could have played in Week 18. But, LaFleur wasn't going to take that risk.
LaFleur also said that, had Love played in this game against the Vikings, he wouldn't have let his quarterback drop back to pass even a single time. It would've been all runs; no funny business.
Now, we wait just a little bit longer for Bears vs. Packers, Round 3.