Luke Getsy knows Packers will provide Bears with tough test

One of the first things quarterback Justin Fields saw upon entering the locker room at halftime Sunday was a smiling Luke Getsy.

That might strike some as odd, considering the Bears had a measly 68 yards of offense and were trailing San Francisco 7-0.

But Getsy, the Bears’ 37-year-old offensive coordinator, was actually in a good mood.

“I try to be as consistent as (possible) every day for those guys,” Getsy said Thursday. “Positive energy is important to me. This is a really hard game. We work so hard all week to have fun on Sunday.”

The Bears certainly had a whole lot of fun in the second half as they stormed back to beat the Niners 19-10. This Sunday we’ll see if Getsy can keep the good times rolling when he goes up against good buddy Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Getsy broke into the league in Green Bay as an offensive quality control coach in 2014 and was promoted to receivers coach in 2016. He departed for Mississippi State in 2018, but returned to the Packers in 2019 as their quarterbacks coach.

Rodgers and Getsy developed a tight-knit bond that was evident for all to see.

“Relationship-wise, I think we have a ton of respect for each other for the work ethic we have,” Getsy said. “And then, ultimately, we care about each other a lot. ...

“We always knew we had each other’s backs. We proved it to each other all the time.”

Getsy has always been impressed with Rodgers’ football IQ, his attention to detail and his demanding personality. The guys is intense, to say the least.

But Getsy also loves that Rodgers knows how to let loose on game day. Bears fans have seen that side of Rodgers far too often, with perhaps the best example coming last October when Rodgers bellowed, “I STILL OWN YOU!” after scoring a key touchdown at Soldier Field in a 24-14 victory.

“He challenges you every day to be on it,” Getsy said. “There’s no, ‘Maybe, kind of, sortas.’ ... You’ve gotta know it. And the dude’s intelligence level is really high, so you better bring it.

“At the same time, he loves to have fun, and so do I. So that was refreshing.”

The Packers dropped their opener 23-7 at Minnesota on Sunday, with Rodgers completing 22-of-34 passes for 195 yards. He had no touchdown passes and threw an interception.

As a result, some are predicting gloom and doom in Green Bay.

But Getsy knows better.

He saw firsthand what happened last season after the Packers were trounced 38-3 at New Orleans in Week 1. All they did after that was win seven straight en route to a 13-4 season.

Getsy was also there in 2014 when the Packers dropped the opener 36-16 in Seattle. They proceeded to go 12-4 and advanced to the NFC Championship.

“Listen,” Getsy said. “There’s 17 games and it’s a season of progress. ... It’s a long year. ...

“You stick to the details and what you want to be good at. And that guy (Rodgers) is good at a lot of things, so they’re able to do a lot.”

After that loss to the Saints in 2014, Rodgers threw for 346 yards and tossed three TD passes in a 31-24 victory over the Jets. In Week 2 last season, he threw four TD passes in a 35-17 victory over the Lions.

And, yes, both games were at Lambeau. So the Bears better be ready.

Now, the Packers are smarting on the offensive line and they also traded star wideout Davante Adams to the Raiders in the offseason.

Still, Rodgers almost always has the Bears’ number. He’s 22-5 lifetime against them while throwing 61 TD passes and just 10 interceptions. The last time he lost to the Bears at home was in 2015.

No matter the outcome, it’s a near certainty that Getsy and Rodgers will share a few postgame words and perhaps even a hug.

“(He’s) a close friend and a guy who was a confidant,” Rodgers said. “Lot of long conversations long after the day had been done. Good hangouts outside of the facility.

“Really enjoyed his wife Tina and the kids. You know, he’s got four little rugrats running around. He’s just a great human being. He’s a great father, husband, phenomenal coach. He’s fun in the room. ...

“I loved our constant dialogues during the week and loved being coached by him.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20220915/oc-getsy-knows-packers-will-provide-bears-with-tough-test