Oldest Rivalry, Highest Stakes

Are The Packers Playing With House Money?

It’s finally here, ladies and gentlemen. We’ve been dreaming of this weekend for almost exactly a year. On January 12th 2025, the Packers were eliminated by the Eagles, and we’ve been waiting for our next crack at a championship ever since. Well, it is time.

It’s been a hell of a time to get here too. The Packers arrive to the playoffs battered and bruised, riding a four game losing streak. Their prize jewel, Micah Parsons, out for the year, along with Tucker Kraft, Devonte Wyatt, and about ten other players on IR. Green Bay still got their ticket to the dance, and even though expectations are understandably diminished, could shock the world with a playoff run.

Or would they?

Would it surprise you to learn that the Packers are actually favored in Chicago this weekend? By about 1.5 points, at the time of this writing, in fact.

Is this the first time that a seven seed has actually been favored in the wildcard round? I’d imagine it must be, and I’m having a hard time deciding whether it speaks more to the Packers or the Bears. I can’t imagine that either team inspires much confidence at the national level.

Obviously, there is so much to be gained in winning this game. Playoff bonuses and checks for the players, resume builders for the coaches. Winning playoff games are the goal. That’s all well and good, but listening to people talk about this historic matchup, it seems to be almost entirely to do with gaining bragging rights for the summer over the other.

And we want to be clear that we think there’s nothing wrong with that. Whatever your thoughts are on how far the Packers can go, and how beatable the Bears are (extremely), the Seahawks await next week. How much pressure does that game carry?

Or… are the Packers once again playing with house money?

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Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting - Packer Transplants Live 318

Welcome back to Packer Transplants Live with Aaron Nagler and Corey Behnke! This Saturday, the oldest rivalry in football steps into its biggest moment of the season as the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears collide with everything on the line. One team pushes its season forward. The other walks into a long offseason haunted by what could’ve been.

How Have Packers Fared in Wild Card Rematches?

Saturday night’s rubber match between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will be Green Bay’s 17th wild card game since the NFL playoffs expanded in 1990. Entering this year’s game with the Bears, the Packers are 10-6 in the previous 16 games. Seven of those games were played on the road, the Packers being victorious in four of the seven games.

This year’s game will be the 12th time the Packers are having a regular season rematch in the wild card round. It is the 5th time it will be a division opponent in the wild card round, playing both the Lions (1993, 1994) and Vikings (2004, 2012) twice in wild card games. The Packers beat the Lions in both 1993 and 1994 after splitting their two regular-season games.

In 2004, the Packers swept the Vikings in the regular season with a pair of 34-31 wins, but then lost the third game, a 31-17 loss at Lambeau Field. In 2012, when the two teams met again at Lambeau Field, the Packers and Vikings split their regular season games, with each team winning at home before the Packers won the playoff rematch, 24-10.

This year, like three of the previous four occurrences, the Packers and their division opponent both won the games during the regular season. The Packers won their home game in Week 14, a 28-21 win that was sealed by a Keisan Nixon interception in the end zone. The Bears won their home game, also in exciting fashion, a 22-16 overtime win that was highlighted by the Caleb Williams to D.J. Moore touchdown catch in overtime.

As painful as the Week 16 loss was for Packers fans, as it evoked several eerie moments that were nearly identical to the infamous loss in Seattle 11 years ago, the Packers entering this game splitting with their division rivals in the regular season should give the team some motivation heading into their playoff contest.

Carry The G Radio - 1/6/2026

Aaron Nagler, Bill Schmid, and Armen Saryan look back at the Packers loss to the Vikings and look ahead to the playoff game against the Bears.

Ask Maggie: Introducing Your Packers Mailbag

I’m baaaaaaack. Hopefully this is welcome news and you didn’t just sigh deeply and close your browser tab. I was really debating starting this post with “Dearest Readers” but I thought the venn diagram between Cheesehead TV readers and Bridgerton watchers might be slim, so I scrapped that.

Anyway, I want to introduce you to a new series I’ll be kicking off for Cheesehead TV starting this Saturday, the 10th. But I’m going to need your help. You see, this isn’t just any weekly column. We’re doing a mailbag. And mailbags are only successful if I have you, the readers, submitting your thoughts and questions each week for me to respond to.

Do you have questions about Green Bay’s run defense going into the postseason? I do too. And honestly if I had answers for that I’d probably be working on an NFL coaching staff and not writing for Cheesehead TV. Do you have questions about beer styles and their respective NFL positions? Easy. Defensive linemen are stouts. Next question.

But really. I enjoyed my “maternity leave” and couldn’t be happier to be back writing for Cheesehead TV again. This series will be what we make it, so let’s chat about our favorite football team and have some fun doing it. Send your questions to [email protected] for a chance to be featured each week!

Bright start for Trevon Diggs

Diggs started on Sunday just days after being claimed on waivers from the Cowboys and had a good afternoon, only being targeted once and not allowing a catch in his Packers debut. The cornerback allowed a passer rating of just 39.6 on the day, had a PFF coverage grade of 82.3, and was solid in run defense, making two tackles. If Diggs can return to the level of play he showed in Dallas in years gone by, it could be a big boost for Green Bay’s defense in the playoffs.

Check out four more takeaways from the Packers regular season finale.

CHTV's Early Defensive Tackle Rankings For 2026 Draft

Newt Westen is breaking down his Top 10 defensive tackles in this year’s NFL Draft class. It’s a more “Day 2 heavy” group than last year’s loaded crop, with plenty of specialized fits (1-techs, 3-techs, and 4i/3-4 DE types).

Confessions of a Polluted Mindset - Everyone's 0-0

We made it, folks. The long arduous journey known as the NFL regular season is behind us. Players and coaches on eighteen teams are spending this week cleaning out their lockers, polishing their golf clubs and making travel plans. For the Packers, those things can all wait - the playoffs are on their doorstep and the Chicago Bears and Soldier Field await them. Few NFL seasons go as predicted and this one was no exception. Big wins, disappointing losses, catastrophic injuries, they were all there for Green Bay. Personally, I have to remind myself that a month ago, this team was 9-3-1 and looked like a sure thing to win the Division. Four straight losses (well three where they were trying, anyway,) landed them in what has become a too familiar position - the 7th seed into the playoffs and no chance of a home playoff game at Lambeau Field.

That last part really annoys me because it means I haven't been to Green Bay any of those years. At this point in my life, if I'm going to travel to Green Bay, it needs to be for that incredible playoff atmosphere (days of it!), which compares to little else I've experienced in the world of sports. The vibe and energy around town, the partying and tailgating, the pep rallies, the legendary players who return, the 100% total focus on the Green Bay Packers. Nothing else matters during those days ( the world could be ending and your main concern would be "just hold off until after the game)." The energy you absorb is truly invigorating and can even make old men feel somewhat young again.

But all of that will have to wait. The Packers will be playing in Soldier Field Saturday Night, certainly a historic place in its own right, but it can't come close to Lambeau. So much so, that the Bears want to leave. They want a new stadium (a dome stadium for those wussies!) and may even be moving out of the state to get one. The Indiana Bears sounds great, doesn't it? Of course they'll still call themselves the Chicago Bears, just like the Giants and Jets still say they are New York teams even though they play in my home state. But Lambeau is Lambeau as it always will be - I'm confident of that. Make improvements, build a vibrant Titletown around it - that's all fine and good. But keep the guts of the place as they've been forever and never ever a roof - always, always, let it snow on Lambeau Field because there is no more magical feeling than being there for a "snow game."

OK, my mind veered off the road a bit there, conjuring up fond memories of playoff games at freezing Lambeau Field. But getting back on track, the NFL Playoffs are a brand new season. Records don't matter. It's clean slate and a chance for underdogs to surprise and favorites to disappoint. The Packers are certainly an underdog to be crowned Super Bowl Champions (around 25-1 odds, same as the Bears). Only four teams have longer odds (Chargers 30-1, 49ers 30-1, Steelers 50-1, & Panthers 200-1). This, of course is all based on what these teams did during the regular season. But as they say in the investment community, "past performance is not indicative of future results."

Are the Packers a good enough team to prove the oddsmakers wrong? I believe they were - with Tucker Kraft, Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt on the field. I don't now that I would place a wager on them right now to win the Super Bowl (although I actually did before the season). But I do believe wholeheartedly that the Packers are a better team than the Bears. They gifted Chicago the last game and much to their credit, the Bears accepted the gift, made something of it, and won the game. They say beating the same team three times in the same season is one of the hardest things to do in the NFL, so maybe that was a blessing in disguise?

And that my friends... is a Polluted Mindset. 

Go Pack Go!

Forget Seeding, It's Time to Play Football

It's playoff time, and your Green Bay Packers are back in the dance. Of course, what else is new? The Packers have consistently made the playoffs for the better part of the last 30 years. During that time, they've held every position from the 1 seed, achieving home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, to the 7th seed, meaning they'll be the visitors in every game regardless of who they play. But do teams really care what seed they are once the playoffs begin?

Sure, seeding matters when it comes to having home-field advantage. You'd rather play at home with your home fans creating a raucous atmosphere for your opponent to endure than have to endure it yourself. But just this past week, we watched the Philadelphia Eagles prefer to rest starters, including their starting quarterback, when they had a shot at the number 2 seed. Sure, they needed Chicago to lose, which they did, but a victory would've made the Eagles the 2 seed, and unless they were facing Seattle in the NFC Championship game, they would be at home throughout the playoffs.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni stood by his decision to rest starters despite missing out on the 2 seed. He preferred to have his team well-rested and ready to go for the playoffs, rather than move up in seeding. Almost as playoff position was of no concern as long as his team was ready to go.

For the third straight season, the Green Bay Packers hold the number 7 seed in the NFC playoffs. We've seen it all over social media and even in some news articles that if not for the NFL switching from 12 playoff teams to 14 in the 2020 season, the Packers would have been absent from the playoffs each year for the last four seasons. Which is true, from a certain point of view.

The Packers were the bottom sixth seed in 2010 when they won Super Bowl XLV. Sometimes, all you need is a chance.

Chicago is the 2 seed, Green Bay is the 7 seed. But none of this matters come Saturday night if the Packers can execute their game plan to perfection and pull off the victory.

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The Play Caller - Matt LaFleur Inspired Cocktail

This one’s for the Packers fans who actually watch the game. The LaFleur Play Caller is a refreshing, floral, herb-forward cocktail inspired by Matt LaFleur — and the endless debates around his play-calling. Whether you think he deserves more credit or you just want a damn good drink at the tailgate, this cocktail delivers.

Packers-Bears Cheesehead TV Nation preview

For our Die Hard members, Aaron Nagler and Andy Herman preview the Green Bay Packers playoff showdown with the Chicago Bears.

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