Packers: History of the rivalry with the Bears

The Packers and Bears share the distinction of being two of the oldest franchises in the NFL. The two division rivals started their battle way back in November of 1921. The rich tradition of the rivalry will only add to the spice of the two teams battling in Week 11 of the 2024 season.

This season's battle may not go down in history as a classic battle between the two Midwestern based teams. Jordan Love will fancy his chances of outdueling rookie Caleb Williams. Chicago's inability to protect their rookie quarterback should also have a significant bearing on the game's outcome.

None of the circumstances surrounding this year's game will do anything to sully one of football's greatest rivalries. Packers fans should read on to immerse themselves in the historical rivlary.

When did the two teams first meet?

The Packers and the team based in Chicago first met on November 27th, 1921. The Bears were known as the Staleys back then and successfully shut out Green Bay by a final score of 20-0.

The biggest play in the game was Gaylord "Pete" Stinchcomb's 45-yard touchdown run. Chicago didn't need any more offense to knock off their geographical rivals. The franchise elected to change its name to the Bears during the following year. Packers-Staleys would not have the same cache as Packers-Bears.

Two players were ejected in the game several years later

There may not have been much spice in the 1921 matchup but things changed a few years later. The 1924 affair featured the first ejections for fighting in league history. Chicago's Frank Hanny and Green Bay star Tillie Voss were both tossed.

The Bears managed a 3-0 victory but the bad blood between both franchises was founded in this matchup. Fans of both teams who enjoy a little bit of nastiness owe a debt of gratitude to Hanny and Voss for getting things started over 100 years ago.

When did the Packers finally earn their first victory?

Plenty of Green Bay fans thought the Bears had a hex over their favorite team until they met in 1941. The Packers knocked off Chicago in their sixth meeting of all-time with a 16-14 victory.

The Bears bounced back in a major way by knocking the Packers off in a playoff tiebreaker in December of the same year. They dispatched their rivals by a 33-14 final score on their way to winning a championship.

The two teams played a classic at Wrigley Field

Two football teams playing at Wrigley Field might seem like a new idea but the Packers and Bears did it way back in 1961. Vince Lombardi coached his team to a quick 31-7 start and held on for a narrow 31-28 win.

This win propelled the Packers to win a title of their own. Lombardi and George Halas formed a great rivalry that reverberates through this rivalry to this day.

"Refrigerator" Perry got loose to make his mark on the rivalry

William "Refrigerator" Perry made his mark on the rivalry during his rookie campaign back in 1985. He scored the winning touchdown for Chicago against their NFC North foes. Doing it on Monday Night Football only added style points for the former Clemson star.

Perry wasn't the most talented or productive running back to feature in this series, but he was one of the most entertaining. Chicago fans still remember him fondly, in part, for the damage he did against Green Bay.

The Bears won with emotion in 1999

Chicago entered their game against the Packers back in '99 with heavy hearts after the passing of Bears' legend Walter Payton. The team did its fan base a favor by pulling off a last-second victory by improbably blocking a 28-yard-field goal attempt by Green Bay.

The Packers achieved some history during this matchup too. Quarterback Brett Favre passed Ron "Jaws" Jaworki's record for most consecutive starts. It was hardly Favre's greatest accomplishment for the franchise but it was notable.

Have the teams met in the playoffs?

Yes, but only on one occasion. The Packers knocked Bears' signal-caller Jay Cutler out of their postseason game back in 2011 en route to a 21-14 win. The Packers added insult to injury by winning a Super Bowl title this year. Fans in Chicago are anxious to take on Green Bay in a future playoff game to try to even the score.

What can the history of the rivalry teach us?

The lengthy list of Hall of Famers who have played for both teams in the series shows just how much it means to fans in both cities. Everyone on the active roster ahead of this game has a chance to put their name up there with real legends if they can pull off a special performance.

The key for both teams will be to make sure they focus on the game itself, rather than the aura of the rivalry. For the Packers, that means helping Love stay within the comfy confines of Matt LaFleur's offensive ecosystem.

The challenge for the Bears in helping Williams succeed will be even more challenging. He has been running for his life in recent weeks and is not playing with the same confidence he did when the regular-season began. It will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure of one of the NFL's oldest rivalries. The Packers defense will try to push him to make big mistakes to torpedo his team's chances of pulling off the upset.