The Packers didn’t play their starters Sunday but the Bears did. While coach Ben Johnson defended his decision after the game — “Some teams, they rest their starters [but] we don’t, we play football,” he said — the playoff schedule might have conspired against him.
Bears players will have one fewer day to recover because the Bears are playing the rival Packers on Saturday night — and not Sunday — at Soldier Field.
Johnson wasn’t ready to make it an excuse.
“We’ve been doing this all year,” he said. “We’ve had long weeks. We’ve had seven-day stretches, we’ve had six days, we had a five-day stretch in there. We’re really built for this at this point. So I feel really good about the schedule, the setup. I know our guys will be prepared.
“I think the biggest challenge any time you get on a short week like this is just making sure physically the guys are doing everything they can to get their bodies recovered. They’ve done that all season long. I would expect this one to be no different.”
The Bears will hold a walk-through Tuesday and practices Wednesday and Thursday. NFL rules allow them to make one of them a padded practice, should they choose.
Notes
• Johnson specified exactly why he put together what he said was one of the simplest game plans of the year Sunday. He said he installed fewer motions before the snap — as little as they’ve had since Week 4 — because the Bears wanted to “play fast” and “sound” against a Lions defense that can be confusing to face.
• Theo Benedet starting at left tackle for an injured Ozzy Trapilo on Sunday ended a streak of 369 consecutive snaps played by the Bears’ five starting offensive linemen, the longest of the season.
• Defensive end Daniel Hardy has now played one snap at fullback in two straight games.
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