Lake Forest, Illinois – The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have met more times than any other two teams in the NFL, but playoff clashes remain a rare and highly charged event.
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The Bears and Packers will add another chapter to their storied rivalry when they face off at Soldier Field on Saturday night. This will be just the third playoff meeting between the two franchises, and the stakes are undeniably high.
“It’s an incredible rivalry, and playing them in the playoffs only makes it bigger,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. “That makes this match all the more important.”
The personal connections add another layer to the intensity. Bears tight end Cole Kmet, a Chicago native, has deep roots in the area and a unique family tie to the Packers – his sister is dating Green Bay defensive tackle Lukas Van Ness.
“It means a lot to me,” Kmet said. “Playing at home against Green Bay will create a special atmosphere. It almost feels like we’ve played them five or six times here in the last month. I think it will make this match even more epic.”
The Bears (11-6) are hosting a playoff game for the first time since the 2018 season, a game remembered for Cody Parkey’s last-second missed field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles. They’ve lost their last three playoff appearances since a 2010 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field, a season that ended with a painful conference championship loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on their home turf.
Green Bay (9-7-1) has largely dominated this rivalry in recent decades, but the last two seasons have been far more competitive. Last year’s matchups were decided by field goal attempts from Cairo Santos – one blocked, the other successful.
This season’s two games were equally tight. The Packers secured a win at Lambeau Field in Week 14, while the Bears responded with an overtime victory two weeks later.
Johnson-Led Bears Turnaround
Under first-year head coach Ben Johnson and with progress from quarterback Caleb Williams in his second year, the Bears climbed from the bottom of their division to claim the title – a first since 2018. They clinched a playoff berth for the first time in five years, securing second place in the National Association, though they stumbled with losses in their final two regular season games: 42-38 to the San Francisco 49ers and 19-16 against the Detroit Lions.
Packers Defense Struggling Without Parsons
The Packers have lost their last four games. Having secured seventh place in their conference, they rested key players last week against the Minnesota Vikings.
Qualifying for the playoffs despite recent struggles wasn’t the Packers’ vision for the season. The acquisition of Micah Parsons generated high expectations, but a season-ending knee injury suffered in Week 15 in Denver derailed those hopes, and the defense has faltered in his absence.
The Packers squandered second-half leads against the Broncos and in their subsequent game at Chicago, then allowed 307 rushing yards in a 41-24 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Packers are hoping for the return of quarterback Jordan Love, who missed the final two regular season games after sustaining a concussion during the loss at Chicago.
Nixon Featured in Both Duels This Season
The Packers took the lead in the North division during Week 14, overcoming the Bears with a 28-21 victory sealed by a Keisean Nixon interception in the end zone with just 22 seconds remaining.
Two weeks later, Caleb Williams exacted revenge, connecting with DJ Moore on a 46-yard touchdown pass in overtime to give the Bears a 22-16 win. The Bears rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation.
Nixon was in coverage on the game-winning touchdown, and along with Nate Hobbs, left Jahdae Walker uncovered on the tying score. Nixon is eager for another chance against the Bears. “I didn’t want anyone else,” he said. “I wanted the Bears.”
Little Playoff History Between These Two Rivals
The last time the Packers and Bears met in the playoffs, Aaron Rodgers avenged a previous loss to Brett Favre, and the Packers forced Jay Cutler off the field with a knee injury en route to a 21-14 victory.
Two weeks later in Dallas, the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and brought the Lombardi Trophy back to the “City of Champions” for the first time since their 1996 triumph.
In 1941, George Halas’ Bears defeated Curly Lambeau’s Packers in the playoffs at Wrigley Field. The Bears then went on to defeat the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game, also played at Wrigley Field.
