It was like a scene out of The Office.
Newly unveiled Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson pandered to the fans by taking a shot at Matt LaFleur. Not the Green Bay Packers as a whole, but specifically LaFleur.
"Dan Campbell and Kevin O'Connell? Talk about two guys that are up for Coach of the Year awards as the season ends here. And to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year," Johnson said.
It was met with a smattering of awkward laughter, then silence and an overly long pause. All it needed was one embarrassed glance at the camera, and Johnson would've gone full Michael Scott.
It was likely nothing more than Johnson trying to score a cheap pop from Bears fans, just like when Lovie Smith revealed his "number one goal" was to beat the Packers during his introductory press conference two decades ago.
But the fact he name-dropped LaFleur while praising the other two NFC North coaches was interesting, to say the least.
Ben Johnson's bizarre comments about Matt LaFleur handed Packers some free bulletin board material
It felt awkward enough, but NFL analyst Peter Schrager spelled out what made it so odd. As Schrager noted, this wasn't Johnson taking a shot at a close friend he previously worked with.
"Ben Johnson and Matt LaFleur have no relationship. There's nothing. There's no overlap, there's no friendship," Schrager said on Good Morning Football. "This isn't like, 'Hey, I'm poking my old buddy here. We actually worked together at Central Michigan in the late 80s.' There's nothing. Matt LaFleur does not know Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson does not know Matt LaFleur. He called his name out in a press conference at his opening coach address."
It's such a great point. If Johnson had said he can't wait to beat Dan Campbell? No problem. A friendly joke at his former boss-turned-division rival. But intentional or not, name-dropping LaFleur felt personal (although it likely wasn't meant to). It came seconds after praising Campbell and O'Connell.
Bears fans enjoyed it, so Johnson likely got what he wanted from the joke, outside of the immediate awkwardness in front of reporters.
But Packers fans will remember, just as they never forget when Bears general manager Ryan Poles boldly stated they were going to "take the (NFC) North and never give it back."
Chicago has finished dead last in the division in all three seasons since.
Johnson followed the Bears' tradition of bashing the Packers in his opening press conference. The Bears' manifesto is to beat the Packers. Green Bay's is to win championships.
But Johnson certainly provided an entertaining soundbite that Packers fans will tuck away in their back pockets and save for the Bears' inevitable defeat at Soldier Field.