Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Ben Johnson has made the Bears-Packers rivalry personal | Take The North
15 Jan 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: How has Ben Johnson impacted the Bears-Packers rivalry?
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You know, and it is personal. It is. I mean, with the stuff going back and forth, this is the playoffs, man. This is money, literally money. You know what I mean? This is guys get extra checks, get a nice little bonus for winning these games. It's about getting to the Super Bowl. So it is personal. And that was made very clear by Tremaine Edmonds.
It was made very clear by Kevin Byard, like I said, and many of the players in that locker room. One thing I wonder about about Ben Johnson with this. Like, it's a fluid situation. We are learning Ben Johnson every single week. We are learning more about him, whether it's taking the shirt off or F the Packers, what moves this guy or airing out his team after the finale loss to Detroit.
I do wonder, like, when the players go home to their respective families, to their wives, their girlfriends, their kids, like, do the wives, are they like... At some point in time, are they like... Is he okay? And I can imagine the players being like, I think so. I think so. He's a little bit crazy, but it's a good crazy, and he's our crazy.
I mean, I'm sure the players are still to some degree, and I mean this in the best possible way, still trying to figure out the unpredictable nature of Ben Johnson's emotions. I think why they love him at this stage is because he's so genuine, right? And so every emotion that he expresses is genuine, and you can feel that every single day. And you heard it in that Tremaine Edmonds club.
They're looking at him and going, man, he's got a little swag about himself here. He's really feeling this again. And again, it's not manufactured, which is what guys rally around. And so, look, it's crazy here. I dug up this stat. The Bears on Saturday night scored their third win over the Packers in 370 days.
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Chapter 2: What emotions are tied to the Bears-Packers games?
I love it, though, that this division is so crazy competitive that the Bears and as much as I joke and say it, the Packers aren't going anywhere. The Packers are going to be good again next year. I don't know how things will be augmented and changed and that Micah Parsons isn't going anywhere anymore. Jordan Love isn't going anywhere. It's still a talented team.
And then you've got Detroit, which is going to have a huge chip on its shoulder going into next year. And even Minnesota, which I thought was all over the place this year, finished strong. So it's so fun to think about the now, but it's also fun to think about the future of this division and knowing that the Bears have the quarterback and the head coach that can take you into this next decade.
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It's just heartening to know that you can swing and throw some punches that when they land, they really sting. You know what I mean? And the Bears have landed some punches this year that have really stung some people. A couple 80s notes since you brought up the 80s. For those in our age demographic, you brought up Tampa being in the old NFC Central.
And I remember getting on a plane to Tampa, probably 2015, if I'm doing my own math correctly. And Mongo was sitting in first class on the plane to Tampa. And the woman got on wearing one of the creamsicle buccaneers jersey and he's like oh baby do i love seeing that color jersey it just reminds me of all the times we kicked your ass The 80 Bears bluster that they earned and the right to do.
And then last week, I was picking my son and his friend up from basketball practice, and I was listening to, on replay, a Spiegel and Holmes show where they were talking about the Charles Martin hit on Jim McMahon. Obviously, in 1986, it helped to derail the 86 Bears.
Why we talk about the 85 Bears is because Charles Martin didn't allow us to talk about the 80s Bears by doing that to Jim McMahon, and they played the whole Bless Grobstein clip. Oh, I heard it.
yeah the kids were in the car were like practically peeing their pants laughing where les said you know charles martin god rest his soul but may he burn in hell for eternity burn in hell a lot of people think it was no big deal charles martin is the worst may he rest in peace but i hope he burns in hell for eternity whatever whatever it was so great
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Chapter 3: What makes Ben Johnson's coaching style unique?
So that's what you want, right? Like you want to feel like you're a part of something where there is a little bit of, you know, animus to everything. And so the Bears are competitively feisty again. What a game on Sunday night. And then, like, just to give you a little tidbit from today up at House Hall, Drew Dahlman ā
did offer up a nugget that Chase, or Case Keenum, rather, addressed the team on Monday. Case Keenum obviously was the author of the Minneapolis Miracle in 2018, a playoff win that was unforgettable. And he was reminding the players today that the next game comes for you really quick.
And so while you're feeling this emotional high, and while it's really hard to sort of recalibrate your emotions after a victory that is that exhilarating, it comes for you quick. After Drew Dolman shared that with us, I went back and looked. What did the Vikings do the following week? Well, they went to Philly for the NFC Championship game, and they got their doors blown off. It was 38-7.
They had a chance to go to the Super Bowl that was being played in their home stadium that year, and the Eagles said, no, thank you, and sent them right to the exits. And so that is one of those cold, hard reminders that this game Sunday is coming for you quick, and while this is going to be really the signature of your season, you better be ready to reset.
Otherwise, this journey is going to end really quickly. Well, that reminds me, too, of something. And we're going to do some three-word reviews here in a second. Plus, Dan has yet to give out a game ball. Studs and I gave out our game balls. We'll refresh you on who we gave them to. But I'm going to let Dan give out his game ball for this game.
One thing that I'll shut up about now is 2018 and 2001. Because I was worried about that with the Bears. If they had gotten eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, all the magic would have been for not. Like 2018, when they get obviously beaten by Philadelphia. Well, both years were by Philadelphia. 2000.
2001 they get Hugh Douglas in that game and Jim Miller Bay almost got killed so I'm glad that I can stop using that analogy and I felt like I did think you know halfway I'd say maybe 10 11 games into this season like okay this is different this is not those teams because offense because there was legitimate
offense but at least I'm glad that I don't I didn't want to put the 2025-2026 Bears in the same category with 2018 and 2001 and now I don't have to well I'll also say this because the Eagles lost to the 49ers on Sunday it brings the Rams to Soldier Field this week.
And so the Bears don't have to worry about a rematch with Philly, which would not only have been a rematch of Black Friday from this season, it would have been a rematch of 2001 and 2018. And it's like, how many demons do you want this group to try to exercise in a month's time? And so they don't have to deal with that.
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