The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears haven’t played a game as meaningful as the one coming this weekend in several years, and pass-rusher Micah Parsons just threw a whole mess of gasoline on a fiery rivalry that’s been burning for the last 90 years.
Parsons’ first taste of the bitterness between the two ancient NFL franchises, which met initially in 1935, comes at a time of considerable stakes. The Bears (9-3) currently hold the NFC North Division lead and the No. 1 seed in the conference. Meanwhile, the Packers (8-3-1) are just a half-game back.
Parsons spoke with media members Thursday, December 4 and pulled zero punches in what amounted to a direct warning to the entirety of the Chicago locker room.
“Rivalries are for the people, it’s for the fans. For me, it’s just going out there and just dominating. I just don’t like them because I just see like the disrespect,” Parsons said. “I play for respect. You know how to earn someone’s respect is beating the [expletive] out of them.”
Source of Micah Parsons’ Ire for Bears Remains Unclear
GettyGreen Bay Packers edge-rusher Micah Parsons.
Parsons did not elaborate as to who from the Bears disrespected him or how that person, or people, did so.
“You gotta go out there and take it. Respect is something that’s earned, and these people wanna come here and beat us in our house,” Parsons continued. “Someone comes and [expletives] on your lawn, what are you gonna say? So it’s a respect thing, especially losing a couple games at home and the way we lost them.”
Parsons was referencing back-to-back three-point losses to the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles that led into the Packers’ current three-game win streak. And it sounds as though the star edge-rusher may simply be repurposing the frustration stemming from those defeats and manufacturing a perceived, even if not actual, disrespect from Chicago as a motivational tactic.
But whatever the case, the Bears will need to prepare themselves for an onslaught from Parsons, who has amassed 12.5 sacks in 12 games and is on pace to smash his career-high mark of 14 sacks in a season. Parsons also has 12 tackles for loss and 24 quarterback hits on the year.
Bears, Packers Both on Multi-Game Winning Streaks Entering Week 14
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
As hot as the Packers are, the Bears are even hotter. Chicago has won five games in a row and nine out of ten contests after starting the year 0-2. The Bears bested the reigning NFC champion Eagles last Friday to assume the top spot in the conference.
Chicago faces Green Bay at Lambeau Field on Sunday and will then host the Packers at Soldier Field just 13 days later.
The two contests between Chicago and Green Bay are likely to decide the division race, though the Detroit Lions will still have their say down the stretch, and will have serious implications for playoff participants and seeding within the conference. The Packers are 6.5-point favorites to win at home this weekend as of Thursday evening, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
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