James Jones, a Green Bay legend and Super Bowl champ, just absolutely ripped head coach Matt LaFleur for going totally soft on the Bears. This isn’t some regular season snooze fest, this is *the* rivalry, one that defines the NFC North, and Jones made it crystal clear that LaFleur’s quiet, mellow message could cost the team the whole damn game.
The Wrong Message at the Worst Time
LaFleur told reporters he wants to keep the focus strictly on the players, saying, “This game is about players and so we’ll keep it about the players. I’m not the one out there playing.” Yeah, he even admitted he loves the rivalry’s intensity, but Jones sees a dangerous gap between those words and what’s actually happening on the field. The Bears are rolling into Lambeau Field with a *backup quarterback*, and get this: *they are still favored to win!* That fact alone had Jones boiling over. “That better not be your message to the team,” he fired back. This is a critical moment. You cannot, I repeat, *cannot* be complacent when the odds are stacked against you, especially not in *this* series. A calm demeanor might work for some random game, but not here. The history demands fire.
Bad Blood Demands More Than Talk
Sometimes the players know the stakes better than anyone. Zaire Franklin, a Green Bay linebacker, nailed it when he talked about the intense feelings between these 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. This isn’t about numbers on a stat sheet. It is about genuine dislike and a need to settle scores. Even guard Sean Rhyan was quick to dismiss any chatter from Bears coach Ben Johnson as “just [expletive] smoke, just [expletive] talk, man.” That sentiment perfectly matches Jones’s warning: if the team does not internalize that anger and history, they are going to lose. Look, the Packers lead the all-time series 109-98-6, but the Bears have snagged three of the last five meetings. Momentum has shifted, big time. Green Bay is ranked 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 honestly, it feels like a monumental mistake.
They need to match that fire, or get ready for another loss. The game kicks off at Lambeau Field on Sunday, October 11, at 1 p.m. It’s time to see if LaFleur’s calm approach actually works, or if Jones’s warning comes true.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply