One of the NFL's oldest and most storied rivalries is back as the Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The Week 5 matchup at Lambeau Field gives Packers quarterback Jordan Love a chance to reclaim bragging rights after losing to the Bears in each of the past two meetings.
Ahead of the game, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur took a measured approach to the rivalry, refusing to trade barbs with Bears head coach Ben Johnson. LaFleur's comments have since drawn backlash online.
Now, Packers' Super Bowl champion James Jones has voiced his disagreement with LaFleur's approach, arguing that coaches cannot afford to go soft, especially in front of their players when it comes to a rivalry with this much history.
LaFleur made it clear that he's not interested in any back-and-forth with Johnson.
"This game is about players and so we'll keep it about the players. I'm not the one out there playing," LaFleur said . "Don't get me wrong. I love the rivalry. It's awesome. It's great. It's intense. You can feel it on game day. You can feel it throughout the course of the week, and also the significance.
"I mean, they're the defending [NFC] North champions. So what a great opportunity, great challenge for us in our home stadium to play against the defending champs."
In the last five meetings between the two teams, the Bears have the upper hand with a 3-2 record. Although the Packers lead the all-time series 109-98-6, the momentum has slowly shifted in favor of their rivals.
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That recent history makes Jones' concern even more significant. The former Packers star believes the team cannot afford to become complacent and called out the message coming from Green Bay ahead of Sunday's showdown.
"They are coming in Green Bay with a backup quarterback, and they are favored . And that is your message?! That better not be your message to the team," Jones said on the "Speakeasy" podcast, reacting to LaFleur's recent remarks.
"Coach Mike [Holmgren] ain't like the Bears. Coach Mike [was] showing old Reggie White film, all them dudes taking the helmets off and chucking them, because that's what the rivalry is all about.
"[There are] two games that the Packers truly, truly care about… and that's when they play the Bears," he added, noting that rival coach Johnson understands it "and he's got his team understanding" the importance of the game.
As Jones mentioned, Johnson is coming to Lambeau Field without his starting quarterback, Caleb Williams, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
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Still, the Bears are currently the third-best team in the NFL according to PFN's Team Impact Score , while the Packers sit at No. 27 with a 71.0 grade.
While Chicago enters the game as the favorite, the Packers still have plenty of firepower, led by quarterback Jordan Love. Green Bay will look to use that advantage to defend its home field and reclaim some momentum in the rivalry.
The stakes will only get higher when the teams meet again in Chicago on Christmas Day in Week 16.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
