It’s hard to believe we have come to this point, but we enter the first of two Packer/Bears matchups of the season simply hoping that the Green Bay Packers will not embarrass themselves.
Yes, that is how far this team has fallen. Embarrassment has become a regular part of the Packers’ gameday routine, and the Bears have played a role in dealing it out in the midst of this awful run of football the Packers have been on since their season fell apart in Denver last fall.
When you look at these two teams, it has become clear that these two rivals are heading in complete opposite directions.
For decades now, outside of a few random years of respectability, the Chicago Bears have been an afterthought for the rest of the NFL. The team has almost never had an NFL caliber offense, and has stepped on rakes over and over seemingly every time they’ve had to go up against their arch rivals.
But Ben Johnson has his Bears breathing fire on offense and displaying an attitude we haven’t seen from this team in years. We’ve seen some occasional spurts of toughness from the Bears, but that’s not what this is–this is bravado of an entirely different sort that has the team believing in itself to an extreme degree. It’s reflected in its head coach who, as obnoxious as he is, has unlocked something in his players that has turned this into a completely different Chicago Bears team.
On the other sideline you have Matt LaFleur, who has seen his best days coaching the Packers pass him by, and who no longer appears capable of leading this team to success. The team under his leadership appears lethargic and makes mistake after mistake, playing a brand of football that is nigh on unwatchable.
The difference between where these two teams find themselves could not be any starker. And it’s troubling for Packer fans, because there’s little indication that things will get any better any time soon; unless the team’s hail mary offensive line patch-ups miraculously work and the team suddenly finds a consistent running game, it is likely LaFleur’s offense will remain just as troubled all year long.
So as the Bears head into Lambeau Field this summer, we could be seeing something of a changing of the guard in this rivalry. Last year’s games should have been a wake-up call. People should have lost their jobs after the debacle in the playoffs.
But they didn’t, and we are here now. It’s hard not to draw comparisons to what’s happening down in Chicago as this team struggles to gain any sort of momentum.
Hopefully the decisions made by Packer higher-ups will not be a long-term factor that causes the Bears’ luck in this rivalry to turn around.
Wisconsin Beer of the Week
It’s Oktoberfest season! And while today’s beer isn’t technically an Oktoberfest, it IS a Vienna Lager, which is an extremely close style. A Vienna Lager has much the same malty sweetness and amber profile that an Oktoberfest has, but it’s a bit lighter in body and lower in alcohol content.
This one is from Lion’s Tail Brewing COmpany based out of Neenah, Wisconsin, and I grabbed it in my fall beer fridge refresh the other week. Apologies for the blurry photo!
Here’s the description of the beer from the brewery:
“Exceptionally smooth and malty. Deep red color based on ‘Number 90,’ the signature paint color used by Appleton’s Pierce Manufacturing on their custom emergency vehicles. Highlights two different Vienna malts.”
It comes in at a very moderate and drinkable 4.7%, and its balanced flavor profile makes it a perfect accompaniment with just about any snack or situation and an ideal addition to the Oktoberfest celebrations you may currently be enjoying. I quite enjoyed it.
I haven’t had a ton from Lion’s Tail, but everything I’ve had I enjoyed. My wife has family in Neenah, so it would be cool to swing by the brewery sometime when I’m up in the area. I haven’t really been to many breweries in the Fox Valley area.
Matthew Golden showing signs of growth
One of the few bright spots so far in this season for the Packers has been the emergence of Matthew Golden as a legitimate go-to target.
With Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks departing for New England and Philadelphia in the offseason, Golden was immediately slotted into a starting role, and his importance to the team only became more emphasized after Jayden Reed was lost for the season with a neck injury.
A year ago, Golden had just 29 total catches for 361 yards, with no touchdowns to speak of. It became a point of contention among fans that Golden, the first wide receiver taken in the first round since Javon Walker, was not given more opportunities in the passing game. It was especially frustrating when Golden showed some serious breakout ability in the playoff game the team lost against Chicago.
While Golden hasn’t lit the world on fire in 2026, he’s already close to equaling his stats from a season ago after just four games. He’s caught 18 balls for 274 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His touchdown this past week was a thing of beauty; he went up and caught the contested ball with his hands while having to twist and contort his body to make the grab, keeping his toes easily in bounds the entire time. It was a sort of Davante Adams or Jordy Nelson style of grab.
Perhaps more importantly: of Golden’s 18 catches, 14 have gone for first downs. This shows that Golden has been blossoming into a receiver that Jordan Love can rely on in crucial situations where the chains need to move.
Golden is now on pace for a 70+ catch, 1000+ yard season. The team is going to need him to stay on that pace and continue being a player Love can rely on during all downs and distances.
When you see Romeo Doubs floundering in New England with some really crucial flubs and Dontayvion Wicks mostly playing at the same level in Philly, it’s clear the Packers made the right call to put Golden in a position where he’d be elevated into a key part of the offense.
Mr. Backes’s This or That
As with every week, I’ve collected the results of the This or That polls I put up in my high school classroom:
Apple pie defeated pumpkin pie
Squidward defeated Mr. Krabs
Itchy defeated Scratchy
Saturdays defeated Sundays
Museum defeated zoo
Around the NFC North
As always, it’s time to go around the NFC North.
The CHICAGO BEARS continue to win games without Caleb Williams in the lineup, showing the potency of Ben Johnson’s scheme (and also the futility of the Jets). This is probably the best team in the division right now, even with an undefeated Vikings team at the top of the standings, and even with a defense that barely knows how to play the sport.
The DETROIT LIONS are in trouble. That defense is a major liability, and the offense isn’t explosive enough to overcome it. Might this team’s window have closed already? They might never have a better chance than they did in those 2023-2024 seasons, and Jared Goff isn’t getting any younger.
The MINNESOTA VIKINGS have a legit defense, but their offense has got to be worrying the coaching staff. Outside of the late-game offensive explosion against the Packers, this is a Vikings team that hasn’t really done a whole lot of getting into the endzone, and sooner or later it’s going to come back to haunt them. For now, they’re one of only a few undefeated teams in the NFL, and they’re in the driver’s seat for the division.
Bears at Packers and Week 5 Picks
The Packers did everything possible to lose that game to the Bucs but still came out winners. Outside of the first half or so of week one, this team has looked awful all season. The Bears have an energy behind them that the Packers have lacked for quite some time now, and it feels like it’s destined to only get worse. This one gets ugly, and I have a feeling the fans at Lambeau are going to let the team hear it.
Bears 30, Packers 16
And the rest…
COWBOYS over Bucs
JAGUARS over Eagles
GIANTS over Commanders
BROWNS over Jets
STEELERS over Colts
TEXANS over Titans
VIKINGS over Saints
PATRIOTS over Raiders
BENGALS over Dolphins
BRONCOS over Chargers
LIONS over Cardinals
49ERS over Seahawks
RAVENS over Falcons
RAMS over Bills
Last week: 12-3, 35-28 total
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Tim Backes is a lifelong Packer fan and a contributor to CheeseheadTV. Follow him on Twitter @timbackes for his Packer takes, random musings and Untappd beer check-ins.