Bears mailbag: How will Ben Johnson, Matt LaFleur impact Packers rivalry?

It has been some time since we’ve had a Bair Mail drop, what with the short week heading into that Black Friday game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Anything important happen in that game?

The Bears hype train has taken off since we last answered your questions, following a 24-15 victory over the defending Super Bowl champs. Some subsequent good fortune has the Bears sitting atop the entire NFC and getting its flowers for sitting at 9-3.

[MORE: NFL playoff picture 2025: Bears lead NFC standings after Week 13 win]

Pardon head coach Ben Johnson for not taking them. He’s right to say that the Bears haven’t earned anything yet. There are two games against Green Bay, one against San Francisco, a Cleveland Browns affair and a season-capper against Detroit upcoming. Their playoff standing could unravel completely in that time, so the Bears must continue quality play to reach its goals of an NFC North championship and playoff success.

There’s plenty to discuss about that run and beyond in this Wednesday Bears mailbag. Let’s get to it.

Victor Ramsey from Chicago

How will this offseason’s back-and-forth between Ben Johnson and Matt LaFleur impact the Bears-Packers rivalry?

Bair: It adds some intrigue to a rivalry that is about as intense as it gets in the NFL. These two teams don’t like each other. The fan bases don’t either.

When Johnson said, at his introductory press conference no less, that he looks enjoyed beating Packers head coach Matt LaFleur “twice a year” while with the Lions.

These two will face off twice in the next three weeks.

That line from January is a good way to ingratiate oneself to Chicago fans and probably nothing more, but LaFleur classified it as such and said it wouldn’t play a role in Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field.

It adds to the hype, especially with both teams playing well and battling for the NFC North lead. Here’s betting it’s a bigger topic among the fans than the teams, but it doesn’t take much to ramp this rivalry up.

These games will be as big as they get no matter what the coaches have said about each other recently.

Harry Fullett from Rio Rancho, NM

What will it take for C. Williams to be more accurate and to see open receivers within 10-15 yards from the line of scrimmage?

Bair: That’s a point of emphasis for the Bears this week, with the passing game operating at a slower RPM than the rest of the team. It’s not just the quarterback that needs adjustment, however, with Johnson also requesting better route depth and detail from his pass catchers.

Quarterback Caleb Williams talked a ton about better ball placement from his end, which comes from timing and all the little details of throwing a football. Johnson brought some straight truth about the passing game on Monday, but backed off it slightly on Tuesday to make sure the public understood that he wasn’t mad at his quarterback. In fact, he was pleased with the progress made in recent weeks.

[READ: Kyler Gordon highlights strengths of the Bears’ secondary in Week 13 win]

“I think when I made that comment yesterday, it is easily construed as I’m not happy with the quarterback,” Johnson said in a Tuesday press conference. “That’s not the case whatsoever. He continues to get better each and every week and I couldn’t be more pleased with how he played last week and I know what the stats say. Throw those out the window. He’s doing a really good job managing the ball game and that’s step No. 1 for the quarterback.

“He’s going to continue to get better. The process is really good right now with how he approaches the week. The way he’s taken the coaching, the way he’s applying the coaching, I’m very pleased with that and I think we’re going to continue to see him ascend whether the stats tell the story or not.”

Now back to the original question. Why isn’t Williams hitting intermediate throws? He has struggled in that area, with a 45.8% completion rate on passes in 10-19 yards in the air. Three of his five interceptions this season have come at that depth but has also had six receiver drops. To improve in this area, it’s about everything discussed above. It’s about timing and route detail and, ultimately, it’s about the ball placement landing in a spot where a receiver can catch and run. If that gets dialed in, this offense will be tough to stop.

Matt Harris from Nashville

What positions should be addressed in the upcoming draft?

Bair: December draft conversations normally happen during a season like last year, not with so much to play for and a low draft pick coming up. But I answer the questions presented and Matt’s is a valid one. While the Bears are getting lots of good press lately and there’s plenty of talent on the team that will be under contract for some time, the roster remains flawed.

Edge rusher remains glaring despite the fact they’ve already committed a ton to the defensive line with contracts that must be honored in 2026.

With Ozzy Trapilo looking more like the answer at left tackle, that area’s shored up. Adding a situational pass rusher in the draft makes sense, someone who could get after the quarterback while Dayo Odeyingbo plays on early downs could work.

[READ: Ben Johnson details Bears’ run-game impact in Week 13 win over Eagles]

If the Bears can’t re-sign Jaquan Brisker – that’s a big if – or Kevin Byard III – can’t let him walk – then safety becomes the single top priority. It’s high already, with all four top safeties headed for free agency. General manager Ryan Poles could grab a good one in the middle or latter portions of the first round.

The Bears could also lose depth in defensive tackles Andrew Billings and Chris Williams, so another interior defensive lineman could help.

So in sum, safety, situational pass rusher and interior defensive lineman tops the list right now. And maybe a developmental project at linebacker who could take over in time.

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