Bears star makes bold statement on rivalry with Packers, vows 'beatdown'

To say the Chicago Bears have had trouble against the Green Bay Packers recently would be an understatement. However, defensive tackle Justin Jones says change has arrived.  

Speaking with reporters Thursday, Jones made a bold prediction about the Bears' Week 1 matchup against the Packers and future contests against the rival. 

"This rivalry here has been going on for a long time, and we're about to be on the other side of that now," Jones said, via Mike Berman of NBC Sports Chicago. "We're going to be the ones to give the beatdown — we're not getting beat by them anymore, it's going to be us from now on, so that's kind of how I see it, and it starts Sunday." 

Jones' words show guts and confidence, not only in himself but his teammates. Considering that Jones played for an entirely different team the last time the Bears defeated the Packers, this is especially true. 

The Bears have dropped eight straight to the Packers and 13 of their last 14 matchups since 2016. The last time the Bears beat the Packers came in December 2018, a 24-17 win led by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who finished 20-of-28 for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jones wasn't even playing in the same conference, wrapping up his rookie year with the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Following additions on both sides of the ball, there's renewed hope in the Bears ahead of the 2023 campaign. However, a big step toward returning to relevance will be finding a way to knock off the hated Packers. 

Well, heading into Week 1, many believe the Bears have a realistic shot to do just that. Perhaps due to the lack of Aaron Rodgers, the Bears are a slight favorite (-1) to win on Sunday, according to OddsChecker.