GREEN BAY – Matt LaFleur had the video ready and waiting when the Packers returned from their bye earlier this week.
In concert with the team's football technology department, Green Bay's head coach prepared a quick montage chronicling the storied rivalry between the Packers and Chicago Bears on the eve of their league-record 209th meeting.
The video honored the past while also showing recent highlights made by many of the men in that room, a reminder of their importance in the latest chapter of this never-ending story.
"We showed it to them, and just how important that our guys, this team now, is to this rivalry," LaFleur said. "It's another NFC North opponent, and I don't think you can ever look past that. And we always talk about the North and trying to own our division."
The Packers bring a 10-game winning streak over the Bears into Sunday's game at Soldier Field. The run is the longest winning streak by either team in the history of the series (matching the 10 straight by Green Bay from 1994-98) and has propelled Green Bay into the all-time series lead over Chicago (107-95-6, including playoffs).
That string of success leaves defensive lineman Kenny Clark and cornerback Jaire Alexander as the only players among the 32 draftees on the Packers' active roster who have even experienced a loss to the Bears.
During that stretch, the Packers have not allowed more than 20 points in five straight games at Chicago, joining the 1928-30 Packers as the only NFL team to do that in Chicago.
The most recent matchup at Soldier Field – a 38-20 win in the 2023 opener – was the first NFL game for Packers receiver and Naperville, Ill., native Jayden Reed. He had two catches for 48 yards in the win.
"It's a fun game to play in," Reed said. "That was my first game being back at home of my NFL career. Obviously competitive game every time we play, especially a divisional opponent."
There have been some verbal barbs thrown between the two sides this week but a lot of respect, too. Speaking at his locker Wednesday, safety Xavier McKinney called the Packers-Bears series "one of the realest ones that we've got in this league."
Receiver Dontayvion Wicks is a big fan of the rivalry and the video LaFleur showed the team, which included Wicks' two touchdowns in last year's 17-9 win over Chicago in the regular-season finale at Lambeau Field.
"I was pumped because I scored two tugs against them last year in the game to go to the playoffs," said Wicks, who had six catches for 61 yards and the two TDs. "It just made me think of that, that moment, because it was big time for me. I'm in the league now, game's different, different level. Being able to score two touchdowns is hard and that was a game that's really important to us."
Dating back to the 2010 NFC Championship, Green Bay has won 25 of the last 30 meetings with the Bears at Soldier Field, including 13 of the last 14. That run has allowed the Packers to overtake the Bears, 54-53-2, in games played in Chicago (including postseason).
Left guard Elgton Jenkins and defensive end Rashan Gary are two of four remaining members of LaFleur's first Packers team in 2019 and are both 10-0 against Chicago.
During his time at Mississippi State, Jenkins was part of the iconic Egg Bowl series between the Bulldogs and Ole Miss and sees many similarities with the Packers-Bears rivalry.
At the end of the day, however, the most important thing is pushing Green Bay's win streak in the series to an unprecedented 11 straight victories while claiming a much-needed division win in the uber-competitive NFC North. Green Bay hasn't started a season 0-3 against the division since 2005.
"It's a great streak," Jenkins said. "We gotta keep it going this year, dominate up front. As an offense, play a complete game. I feel like we move the ball well (but) there's a lot of things we haven't done that I feel like we should do – obviously penalties and pre-snap.
"The Bears are a good team but we're definitely trying to keep this streak alive, and I don't plan on losing to them."
