Column: A Chicago Bears win in Lambeau on Sunday would mean the Johnson era is truly different

What the Bears vs. Packers showdown on Sunday could mean for the playoffs | Chicago Sports Tonight

The Bears take on the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, and the stakes are high. We break down what it could mean for the playoffs, in this episode of Chicago Sports Tonight.

It felt similar to Babe Ruth calling his shot, Joe Namath’s Super Bowl guarantee and close to Paul the Psychic Octopus.

In January, Ben Johnson was the head coach of the Chicago Bears for all of a few hours. He stood at a podium in Halas Hall and reminded everyone of his success vs. the Green Bay Packers.

"To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year," Johnson said in January.

That’s not the same as calling their shot. But, that’s the right idea.

The Bears haven’t been competitive vs. Green Bay in years. That’s Johnson saying he not only wants to beat the Packers, but he understands how important it is for the Bears to beat Green Bay. Lovie Smith had the same level of understanding.

But, make no mistake, if Johnson’s Bears do beat Green Bay this weekend at Lambeau Field the Bears will have finally proved they’re in a different era.

By the numbers:

The Bears have won at Lambeau Field just six times since 2005.

They won in Week 17 last year on Jan. 5 with a walk-off field goal. Before that, John Fox’s Bears beat the Packers on Thanksgiving in 2015. In the 2010s, the Bears won at Lambeau just twice. In the 2000s, the Bears won in Green Bay just five times.

There’s always been something about playing in the frozen tundra for the Bears. It’s seldom been a good experience for the Bears.

Now, it’s different. The Bears are 9-3. First place in the NFC North is on the line. There are actual stakes involved.

"It’s way better when you got a winning record and not a losing record," said wide receiver DJ Moore. "You go out there and it’s freezing when you’re losing. And when you’re winning, you don’t really feel the cold."

The stakes are one thing. Johnson making it known how important it is to beat the Packers before his first game with the Bears is another. The Bears have watched two Hall of Fame quarterbacks come through Green Bay and drive stakes through the hearts of the Bears for two decades. It feels like wins in Green Bay are as elusive as when pigs fly, unicorns appear or whatever fantasy animal comes through your head. They rarely happen, let alone with stakes this high.

Still, Johnson and his staff have been intentional in their 10 months in charge. They do what they say, and say what they’ll do. Saying he enjoyed beating the Packers in Detroit, only to replicate it in Chicago would be a turning point.

A win on Sunday will be the second time in the 2020s the Bears have beaten the Packers.

The Bears know this, too.

"Based on what Ben said in the offseason, we really need to lock in," Moore said Thursday.

Big picture view:

What stands in the Bears’ way of a true and complete turnaround around is a Packers team of destiny.

Green Bay swung for the fences this offseason. They acquired Micah Parsons in a move that signaled to the rest of the league how they’re making a run at the Super Bowl.

That came well after Johnson’s comments about beating LaFleur, which the Packers have taken as their main form of motivation.

"You take it personal, for sure," Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich told reporters this week of Johnson’s comments. "I’ll just leave it at that."

Johnson’s comments were seen as a form of disrespect. They know the rivalry aspect of the game is debated and discussed off the field. Public comments from coaches are fair game.

"Rivalries are for the people, it’s for the fans," Parsons told reporters in Green Bay this weekend. "For me, it’s just going out there and just dominating. I just don’t like them because I just see like the disrespect."

Parsons has 12.5 sacks on the season. It’s not like the All-Pro pass rusher needs any extra motivation.

Even if the disrespect stems from Johnson’s quote all the way back in January, the Bears will be fighting history and a pissed off Parsons this Sunday. Now, Parsons wants to do more than just beat the Bears.

"I play for respect," Parsons told reporters this week. "You know how to earn someone’s respect is beating the s*** out of them."

The Bears have been complimentary of the Packers all week. But, that means little when Green Bay has its eyes set on setting the record straight. The Packers haven’t won the NFC North since the 2021 season and are geared to win it this year.

Beating the Packers when they’re playing for pride in a season where they’re built to win it all would be proof the Bears are contending for more than just the NFC North title.