Ben Johnson stood at a podium and said how much he enjoys beating Matt LaFleur. The beautiful irony is that he's now 0-1 against him as a head coach.
After an entire week of storylines, all eyes shifted to the postgame handshake between LaFleur and Johnson, which was every bit as awkward and uncomfortable as you'd imagine. Tom Brady called the Green Bay Packers' win over the Chicago Bears on FOX, and he weighed in on the handshake after it was all said and done.
"I'm sure it was as icy as the temperature. Both teams had to go out and buy extra bulletin boards going into the week. There was a lot of material both ways. You've got coaches talking smack," Brady said on NFL on FOX. "It's just the way it's going to go. Those two young coaches are going to be in these programs for a while. We're going to see some great matchups between these teams."
The awkward handshake between Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson is the first chapter of a new rivalry
LaFleur previously said he didn't know Johnson, and the two sure didn't share a warm embrace after the game. But don't worry — they'll be getting to know each other pretty well, with a rematch on deck in just two weeks.
LaFleur spent all week playing it down (even if offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich didn't), and he did the same when asked about the awkward postgame moment.
"It was a quick handshake, and we'll see them again in two weeks," LaFleur said.
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Quick handshake? They couldn't get away from each other fast enough. But it's perfect. We don't want the Packers and Bears coaches to be friends. Or even like each other. LaFleur might not admit it, but that win had to feel extra satisfying knowing it came at Johnson's expense.
But he can't enjoy it for too long. As Brady said, this is just the beginning. It was a huge win for the Packers, but the rematch at Soldier Field could have even bigger stakes. Chicago gets the struggling Cleveland Browns next week, and a win will guarantee the Week 16 Bears-Packers showdown will be for the NFC North lead, just as this game was.
LaFleur's Packers won the first battle, but this story is far from over. Get used to the iciest and most awkward of handshakes. There's plenty more where that came from.