The Chicago Bears erased an 18-point halftime deficit against the archrival Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. Days later, the city still is reveling in the high of the franchise’s first playoff victory in 15 years.

But the Bears have to turn the page quickly. Next up is coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. This will be another tough test for coach Ben Johnson’s Bears.

The Tribune’s Bears reporters tackle five pressing questions heading into the divisional round of the playoffs.

1. Ben Johnson doubled down on his “F−−− the Packers” quote Monday. Fill in the blank, preferably without profanity: Johnson pouring fuel on the rivalry fire is _________?

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on in the second quarter of a game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 4, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Biggs: Clearly what he wants to do. One suspects it might make Chairman George McCaskey a little giddy. Rivalries are at the heart of why we love sports, and the most significant thing the Bears have done to rekindle theirs with Green Bay is actually win on the field, beating the Packers twice in 22 days to end their season.

Johnson is now 2-1 as head coach against Green Bay, and quarterback Caleb Williams is 3-2 against the Packers. Their counterparts — Matt LaFleur (12-3 vs. Bears) and Jordan Love (4-3) — could make this a juicy NFC North battle for years to come. Postseason meetings make it even more exciting.

Most of the comments that have sparked conversation, over the last decade anyway, have been prompted by the Bears. Johnson got in a dig at LaFleur in his introductory news conference last January. Some point to Aaron Rodgers announcing to fans in the southwest corner of Soldier Field, “All my life, I still (expletive) own you!” during a 2021 game.

Of course, that was four years after the Bears’ low-rent trolling of Rodgers on social media the day after he broke up with girlfriend Olivia Munn in 2017. The post included a photo of a downtrodden Rodgers, eyes shut, with the hashtag “#FridayFeeling.”

“It’s OK, man,” Rodgers said when I asked him about it. “I don’t mind that kind of stuff. I like playing in Soldier Field. They have fantastic sports fans down there, and we’ve also won down there a lot. Leave (the post) up.”

The Bears, possibly oblivious to their own quarterback dilemma at the time, deleted the post the same day. Maybe the team even recognized that it contradicted requests it makes on occasion to respect the personal lives of its players.

Hammond: Fun. To Brad’s point, rivalries are what make sports … well, sports. Who are the Red Sox without the Yankees? Who are the Celtics without the Lakers? Who are the Bears without the Packers? When did it become so taboo to say you want to beat your opponent? That’s the whole point of playing the games.

Will Johnson’s comments come back around when the Packers inevitably beat the Bears down the line? Of course! They should. Packers fans wouldn’t be holding up their end of the bargain if they didn’t.

Thompson: Intriguing. “A bold move, Cotton,” as the meme goes. With every comment, from “beating Matt LaFleur twice a year” to “F−−− the Packers,” Ben Johnson ratchets up the stakes every time they meet. Good! What has playing it safe ever gotten the Bears, particularly where this rivalry’s concerned? Now the players — including any free agents or draft picks that walk into Halas Hall — know the standard from here on out. If Johnson’s mouth continues to write big checks, it’s up to his players and staff to cash them.

2. Saturday marked the first time the Bears won this season without a takeaway. Over or under 1.5 takeaways against the Rams in the divisional round?

Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat and safety Kevin Byard III celebrate after Byard intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter of a game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 4, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Biggs: Under. The Rams tied for fourth in the NFL with 15 turnovers during the regular season, four more than the Bears, who were tops in the league. Stafford was intercepted once in the wild-card victory at Carolina. The Bears have seven takeaways in the last six games, and three were interceptions of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Dennis Allen’s defense ought to be able to get one Sunday. The goal will be more. If they rush Stafford like they got after Love in the second half, maybe they’ll have a chance.

Hammond: I’m leaning under as well. The Bears feasted on some bad quarterback play in the regular season. It wasn’t just Sanders. Throw in Geno Smith, Joe Flacco, Spencer Rattler, J.J. McCarthy. They won’t see quarterbacks like those in the postseason. The takeaways will be harder to come by, especially against Stafford.

Thompson: I would say under: maybe one turnover. For three of the last four regular seasons, Matthew Stafford has thrown just eight interceptions. He has thrown just one interception in his last three postseason trips, though that one pick came Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Running back Kyren Williams does have a history of putting the ball on the carpet, though he has been better this season.

3. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo went down with season-ending injuries. Which absence will be harder to overcome for the remainder of the playoffs?

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo works to protect quarterback Caleb Williams in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field on Nov. 23, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Biggs: Trapilo. The Rams have a pair of talented outside linebackers in Jared Verse and Byron Young, and no matter how they move them around, there will be a real threat on the left side of the offense. Young had 12 sacks during the regular season and Verse added 7½, and Los Angeles can generate a real push from the interior as well. The good thing is it won’t be a new assignment for Theo Benedet, who played plenty of left tackle this season. Expect the game plan to feature ways to help him, though. On defense, D’Marco Jackson has proved capable of filling in for Edwards.

Hammond: I’m going with Edwards. Johnson has done a great job providing help for his young left tackles, whether it was Trapilo or Benedet. He can continue to do that with extra pass protectors in the form of tight ends or running backs. Benedet’s addition to the lineup even could be a boost in the running game, where Bears coaches love his abilities. If the Bears can establish the run, that, in theory, would lead to fewer obvious passing situations. Edwards is a leader on defense. Jackson is a capable backup — he won NFC Defensive Player of the Week this season — but losing one of your best defenders before taking on a top-tier offense is a major concern.

Thompson: Trapilo’s. The linebacker group has managed to persevere through multiple injuries, including Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds and Noah Sewell being out at the same time. Special teamer D’Marco Jackson has shown himself to be capable in that role. However, Theo Benedet has more to prove. His earlier struggles are part of why Trapilo took over the left tackle job in the first place. And pass rushes only get more challenging in the playoffs.

4. How concerned should Bears fans be that the running game has not been as efficient in the last three games?

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai finds an opening in the defense in the first quarter of an NFC wild-card game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 10, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Biggs: Something seems a bit off because the running game hasn’t been as precise as it was earlier in the season. I don’t think it’s alarming, though, because all three games presented situations that made the passing game a good choice. The San Francisco 49ers have really struggled defending the pass and can’t rush the quarterback at all. The Detroit Lions secondary was a bunch of spare parts due to injuries. Trailing the Packers 21-3 at halftime, the Bears had to throw their way back into the game. That being said, a boost in the running game would really help against the Rams, who also have a susceptible secondary. They have poured their defensive resources into the front. If Williams has time to throw, there will be plays to make.

Hammond: The Rams allowed 4.3 yards per carry in the regular season (ranked 19th). They’ve had good games and bad in that area. The Bears have shown they are resilient and can beat anybody despite adverse situations. If the running game comes out slow again, it’s not a huge concern for any one game. But I do think if this Bears team is going to reach its full potential in the postseason — and at this point the sky is the limit with this team — the running game has to play at a high level at some point.

Thompson: Very. I refrain from saying “extremely concerned” because who knows what crazy plays Caleb Williams or the Bears defense or special teams can pull out of their hats to pull off a miraculous win. But, honestly, the running game is the foundation of what they do offensively, and the time of possession a strong running game creates also helps a leaky defense.

5. What’s the key to disrupting Rams QB Matthew Stafford on Sunday?

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford calls a play during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Biggs: The best answer is always to get home with four linemen and cover with seven. If that doesn’t work — and the Bears have struggled in this endeavor — Allen will have to get creative. He’s going to have to pressure Stafford, and that might require disguising the pressures and matching coverage on the back end. If the Bears let Stafford sit back in the pocket without pressure, he could have a field day.

Hammond: This is quite a conundrum. The Bears can’t seem to get much pressure when they rush only four. Stafford has a 125.4 passer rating with 32 touchdowns and one interception when facing the blitz. While Allen threw a lot of blitzes at Love in the second half Saturday, I think he’ll be a little more selective about when he does it against the Rams. The fact is, the Bears will have to try to blitz Stafford from time to time and hope their secondary holds up when they do.

Thompson: That’s a hallmark of Sean McVay, as well: “Please blitz me.” Normally, I would suggest the bend-but-don’t-break strategy, but the Rams are seventh in red zone offense. You could try mixing up looks (with occasional blitzes and stunts thrown in) to try to throw Stafford off balance and make him leave the pocket, though he’s a 17-year veteran who has probably seen a little of everything. So, in conclusion? Beats me.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/13/chicago-bears-pressing-questions-divisional-round/