Bears linebacker Pernell McPhee knows a thing or two about division rivalries, and he’s bringing some of the AFC North culture to the NFC North.
After the Packers defeated the Bears 31-23 at Chicago in the season opener, Aaron Rodgers said “It’s always fun to beat the Bears.”
That ticked off McPhee, and he told ESPN.com that he used it as motivation in the Bears’ 17-13 Thanksgiving win at Green Bay. McPhee had six tackles in the game, four of them solo tackles.
Pernell McPhee took great glee in giving the business to Aaron Rodgers https://t.co/0H0svV99WE
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 1, 2015
The Packers are 23-5 in the NFC North since 2011, 9-2 against the Bears. They’ve basically been able to count on wins over weaker NFC North opponents over the years, and as Rodgers said in Week 1, it’s been “fun.”
That’s not the way it is in the AFC North. McPhee played the first four years of his career with the Ravens. Wins over division rivals in the AFC North aren’t “fun.” They’re work. McPhee’s Ravens played five straight games against the Steelers that were decided by three points or less.
This year, McPhee’s Bears are 5-6 and fighting for a playoff spot. Even if they don’t make it, Rodgers and the Packers might want to think twice before penciling those “W”s next to “Chicago” on their schedule in the future.