Two longtime NFC North rivals went at it on Saturday, December 20, in a high-stakes game that pit Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears against Matthew LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers. All season, the two teams have been at the top of the NFC North, and before the game, it was closer than ever, with Chicago a half-game ahead of Green Bay.
The Bears prevailed, and in overtime, they pulled off a 22-16 win. “This is a special group,” Johnson said after the victory. “I felt that early in the season. You get some of those wins, the Raiders game, the Washington game, and you start feeling it, the belief is coming. This group, I’m talking about coaches and players combined, it’s rare, it really is. I can’t say enough good things about the people in this building.”
One a factor in the game is that Packers franchise quarterback Jordan Love was out for the second half. So, while it’s great for Chicago that the Bears won and they now have a 11-4 record and are at the top of the NFC North, they weren’t playing against the Packers’ starting quarterback. Now, the Chicago Bears player who caused Love’s exit is facing possible punishment from the NFL.
Chicago Bears Player May Get Punished for Hit on Jordan Love
Packers quarterback Love was forced to exit Saturday’s game against the Bears after suffering a hit to the head from Bears defensive lineman Austin Booker. It certainly hurt the Packers to lose Love in the game, and following the play, Booker was flagged for unnecessary roughness and Chicago got handed a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.
The Packers had a 3-0 lead with 8:21 left in the second quarter when Love was injured. Love took a first and snap and fell back to pass. Booker sacked Love for a loss of seven, and he also made direct helmet-to-helmet contact with the franchise quarterback.
Now, the Packers wait to hear more about how Love is doing ahead of their next game, but on the Bears side, the play brings the possibility of Booker getting hit with additional NFL punishment for the move. According to the NFL’s official safety rules, a roughing the passer violation carries a $17,389 first-time fine, and an impermissible use of the helmet penalty brings a $23,186 first-time fine.
The NFL will announce its final decision on Booker on Saturday, December 26, in their gameday accountability report.
Ben Johnson Praises the Chicago Bears Staff
On a brighter note, following the win, Johnson spoke to the media about how proud he is of the team’s staff.
“[General manager] Ryan [Poles] has done a great job bringing this collection of people together. They’re mentally tough,” Johnson said after the game. “They’re physically tough. I know we’re going to fight you for 60 minutes and even though the odds were against us there that late, we’re going to keep on swinging and make some plays when we needed to.”
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had an exceptional game, completing 19 of 34 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns, according to NFL research, no turnovers and a 98.9 passer rating.
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