Matt LaFleur addresses quick handshake with Ben Johnson after Packers-Bears

One of the most underrated things in football are the coaching rivalries. And boy, oh boy, we had a great episode of that on Sunday soon after the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. Head coaches Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson had a quick handshake filled with tension.

LaFleur spoke to the press and he wasn’t eager to speak too much about the incident. “Just a quick handshake,” LaFleur said about it. “We’ll see them again in two weeks.” Not that many words, but the latter part of the quote is very telling. Pure divisional rivalry there.

The pot was initially stirred by Ben Johnson, who jabbed LaFleur as soon as he got hired as the Bears coach. He said he enjoyed beating the Packers coach twice a year when he was the Lions’ offensive coordinator. However, LaFleur now rubbed it off saying no extra satisfaction was taken after the win. “No, absolutely not. It’s Packers-Bears. It’s a great rivalry. Certainly, with what was at stake in regards to positioning in the NFC North, that’s the only thing that matters.”

Ben Johnson loves football

With Ben Johnson as the Bears head coach, he stayed in the NFC North. This division is almost synonym with football weather and great rivalries. Ben Johnson is loving it all.

“I do think there’s some aura that comes with playing here and competing here. I love it for our guys. This is what the football gods made football to be, cold weather in December like this,” Johnson said. “Green Bay, Chicago, I think that’s outstanding. I think it’s awesome to have this rivalry alive and well right now. We’ll get another chance at it here in two weeks.“

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NFC North standings and playoff picture updated after Packers-Bears in 2025 NFL Week 14

The NFC North is a huge battle

The Bears were the number one seed, and after yesterday’s loss, they got downgraded all the way to the seventh seed. It was a very tough loss for a team that was riding on big momentum.

Now the Packers lead the NFC North with a 9-3-1 record, while the Bears have a 9-4 record. However, the Lions, Johnson’s former team, is just behind at 8-5. Right now is a tough division, made in football heaven.