First-year Bears head coaches have had success playing in Green Bay
Chicago Bears fans are usually confident in their teams chances, no matter who the opponent is that week. Except when it comes to facing the Green Bay Packers. It’s been a one-sided affair for the better part of a decade with the Bears winning just three games against their bitter rival since 2010.
The results have been ugly to say the least, but when the Bears do find a way to win against Green Bay once every few years or so, it has come when they have a new head coach.
Since 1999 and not including current head coach Matt Eberflus, the Bears have employed five head coaches. Those coaches collectively went 4-1 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field during their first season with the Bears, with most getting surprising wins to start their tenure off on the right foot. Here is how each of them fared.
1999: Dick Jauron
AP Photo/Stephen J. Carrera
Bears 14, Packers 13
Former Bears head coach Dick Jauron’s first season in Chicago was one to forget, but his victory in Green Bay stood out in a big way for more reasons than one. Legendary running back Walter Payton had passed away earlier in the week and the Bears organization was going into Green Bay with a heavy heart.
A hard-fought matchup between the two rivals came down to a 28-yard field goal for the Packers with the Bears up by one point. Defeat seemed inevitable, but defensive lineman Bryan Robinson miraculously got his hand high enough to block the kick to preserve the victory. “Walter Payton picked me up in the air,” Robinson said after the game. “I can’t jump that high.” It was an incredible win for the Bears during Jauron’s first season.
2004: Lovie Smith
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Bears 21, Packers 10
When Lovie Smith was hired as head coach in 2004, his first goal he laid out was to beat the Green Bay Packers. Fortunately, he accomplished that pretty early on in his tenure. Like Eberflus and this year’s group, Smith’s 2004 team traveled to Green Bay in week two.
Things didn’t start off great for Chicago as they trailed 3-0 after one quarter. But they came alive both on offense and defense. The Bears scored 21 unanswered points, highlighted by a long scoop-and-score from Mike Brown. The former safety recovered Ahman Green’s fumble and took it the other way for the score, halting any momentum Green Bay had. The Packers didn’t score again until the final two minutes, making it an easy victory for Smith’s Bears.
2013: Marc Trestman
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Bears 27, Packers 20
Marc Trestman had the Bears playing competitive football going into Lambeau Field halfway through the year during his first year as head coach, They caught a huge break early in the game when Aaron Rodgers left the game due to a collarbone injury thanks to a sack by Shea McClellin.
The Bears were missing their own starting quarterback as Jay Cutler was out due to a groin injury. Backup Josh McCown played solid, however, throwing two touchdowns and no interceptions. Both teams traded blows all night long, but it was McCown and the Bears who landed the last hit to secure the win.
2015: John Fox
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Bears 17, Packers 13
The Bears and Packers celebrated Thanksgiving together in 2015 at Lambeau Field during John Fox’s first year as head coach. It was extra special for Green Bay as they were retiring Brett Favre’s jersey. Good thing the Bears decided to play spoiler and ruin the vibes.
It was a back-and-forth affair with both teams jockeying for the lead all game long. But the team who won the turnover battle wound up winning the game. The Bears forced two turnovers and held off a late surge on the goal line from Rodgers and the Packers offense to hold onto the 17-13 win, giving fans everywhere an extra dessert for the holiday.
2018: Matt Nagy
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Bears 23, Packers 24
Four years ago, Matt Nagy made his coaching debut at Lambeau Field with a ton of fanfare. The team had recently acquired star pass rusher Khalil Mack in a blockbuster trade and had hope they could start the season off with a bang. It looked to be going that way for three quarters of the game too. The Bears were jumping all over the Packers, especially on defense, and lit up the scoreboard to lead 20-3 entering the fourth quarter.
But that’s where things took a turn. Rodgers, who had left the game earlier due to a knee injury, was back on the field and ignited a spark. The Packers outscored the Bears 21-3 and came all the way back to win in a heartbreaking ending. Nagy is the only coach since 1999 to lose his first game in Green Bay as Bears coach.
