The Chicago Bears are heading into what, for many players on the roster, is uncharted territory.
That is not the case for right guard Jonah Jackson, a Pro Bowler who has played in four games in his career; two apiece with the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
Jackson does not exactly know what to expect in this particular contest. He does know how the Bears are approaching it and what they are up against in their third meeting against the Green Bay Packers, with the highest stakes yet on the line.
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The Bears have not qualified for the postseason as an organization since the 2020 campaign, when they went 8-8 and lost in the Wild Card round to the New Orleans Saints.
This Bears team went 11-6 and is the No. 2 seed in the NFC. There are heightened expectations for this group. That is despite the newness of some key contributors, like Jackson, who is in his first season with Chicago following an offseason trade from LA.
Jackson offered a simple but honest assessment of the situation at hand.
“It’s do-or-die now. I’d say we approach each and every week with a different level of intensity and focus. But the stakes are up higher now. Because you win and you keep going. You don’t win, the season’s over. So yeah, we attack each week just how it is,” Jackson told Clocker Sports on Wednesday.
“I think most guys understand what’s at stake and everything like that, so that I don’t really have to share my experiences. But yeah, the game speed picks up, things like that.”
The Bears are confident, but they are facing a highly motivated Packers team.
Chicago and Green Bay split their regular-season series, with the Packers intercepting Caleb Williams to end the first meeting and the Bears defeating their NFC North rivals without Jordan Love in the second.
Love suffered a concussion on a hit from Bears defensive end Austin Booker in the first meeting, which has not sat well inside the Green Bay locker room.
The Bears, though, are not trying to look too deeply into their previous matchups.
“Just like any other game in this season,” Jackson told Clocker Sports. “You got another week ahead, and you gotta be able to attack. You can’t hold on to [it]. Look forward, not backwards. I feel like our team does a great job at that, and guys are ready to attack this because we know what’s at stake.”
Asked what he expects could be different this time around, Jackson smiled and told Clocker Sports, “I don’t know. We’ll have to see.” That is a fitting response given the Bears are expected to get cornerback Kyler Gordon and wide receiver Rome Odunze back for the contest.
The Packers will not have Micah Parsons (IR), who was a key factor in disrupting Williams.
“Micah is an incredible player. They’re also missing another guy, Devonte Wyatt. Great player. And the other guys they had in there that weren’t able to shine as much as them, with them on the field, are doing that now. Karl Brooks. Warren [Brinson], … Rashan Gary, 55 [Kinglsey Enagbare]. The linebackers–Quay Walker and 56 [Edgerrin Cooper]. And then the back end, these guys are flying around, and it’s a really good defense.”
Green Bay ranked 11th against the pass and 18th in run defense during the regular season. They also added Trevon Diggs off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys since the last meeting with the Bears.
Williams and the Bears could benefit from a strong start and leaning on the run game, which would also benefit Jackson and the offensive line.