Green Bay needs fire, not a lecture on sportsmanship. James Jones, a former Packers star and Super Bowl champion, ripped head coach Matt LaFleur for going soft on the Bears. The message coming from the coach is too quiet for a rivalry that defines the NFC North. Jones made it clear on a recent podcast that this approach could cost the team the game.
The Wrong Message for Green Bay
LaFleur told reporters he wants to keep the focus strictly on the players. He said, “This game is about players and so we’ll keep it about the players. I’m not the one out there playing,” per Yahoo Sports. He even admitted he loves the rivalry and its intensity. But Jones sees a dangerous gap between those words and the reality on the field. The Bears are coming into Lambeau Field with a backup quarterback, yet they are still favored to win.
Jones did not hold back his frustration with that specific fact. A backup quarterback leads them to Green Bay, yet they remain favored. And that is your message?! “That better not be your message to the team,” he said. This is a critical moment for the Packers. They cannot afford to be complacent when the odds are stacked against them. A calm demeanor might work in a regular season game, but not here. The history of this series demands more heat.
Bad Blood Runs Deep
The players know the stakes better than the coaches sometimes. Zaire Franklin, a linebacker for Green Bay, noted the intense feelings between the teams. “A lot of bad blood. Nowadays most rivalries are on social media and the offseason you’re hanging out. I don’t think anybody wants to hang out with the Bears in the offseason,” Franklin said via local reporter Vince Lovergine. This isn’t just about stats or records. It is about genuine dislike and a need to settle scores.
Even guard Sean Rhyan dismissed the chatter from Bears coach Ben Johnson as noise. Rhyan called it “just [expletive] smoke, just [expletive] talk, man,” according to a video shared by Fox 11’s Vince Lovergine. But the sentiment matches Jones’ warning. If the team does not internalize the anger and the history, they will lose. The Packers lead the all-time series 109-98-6, but the Bears have won three of the last five meetings. Momentum has shifted.
According to reports, Green Bay ranks No. 27 in the NFL, while Chicago is the third-best team. Jones reminded everyone that “Coach Mike [Holmgren] ain’t like the Bears” and that old-school rivals used to throw helmets. LaFleur’s calm talk might be a strategy, but it feels like a mistake. The Packers need to match that fire or face another loss on Sunday.
The game kicks off at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 1 p.m.
