Numerous viral moments came out of the Chicago Bears’ win over the Green Bay Packers, but the handshake between the coaches was one of the most talked about.
That moment saw Bears head coach Ben Johnson practically sprint past Packers head coach Matt LaFleur before joining his team in a celebration of their triumph.
Johnson was asked about the moment during his press conference on Monday, and he made it clear that he looked at it as a manifestation of the rivalry between the two teams.
“This is a rivalry,” he said. “And the city of Chicago, (of) Green Bay, it needs to be a rivalry.”
Johnson went a step further when he was asked about his emotional postgame speech blasting the Packers.
“There’s a rivalry that exists between these two teams, something that I fully recognize and I’m a part of,” he said. “I just don’t like that team.”
Needless to say, Johnson has made no bones about the fact that he wants to beat the Packers as often as possible as the Bears’ head coach, and that started with his very first press conference after he was hired by the team.
“To be quite frank with you, I kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” he said during that January press conference.
Johnson and the Bears have now beaten the Packers twice this season, including their first playoff win over their hated rival since 1941.
The Bears will now turn their attention to the Los Angeles Rams, with that game set for Sunday at Soldier Field.
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