Bears' (and Lake Barrington native) Kmet: 'No green or yellow in my house'

Cole Kmet knows how much this weekend's Bears vs. Packers game means.

Not only from the standpoint of the 2020 season - which certainly means a lot for a Bears team fighting for a playoff spot - but also from a historical standpoint, a cultural standpoint.

Growing up a Bears fan in Lake Barrington, the Bears' rookie tight end watched this rivalry over the years. Kmet said every Bears-Packers game was a big deal in his house and with his friends at school.

"There was no green or yellow in my house, so we'll leave it at that," Kmet said Thursday.

The last time the Bears and Packers met in Week 17 with a playoff spot on the line was 2013, which might as well be ancient history for a 21-year-old rookie. The Bears entered that game at 8-7 and the Packers were 7-7-1. The NFC North division title was on the line.

"That was a while ago," said Kmet, a St. Viator High School product.

He knows he watched that game, a 33-28 Packers win at Soldier Field that kept the Bears out of the playoffs, but he can't remember where he was. Give him a break, he was 14.

Suffice to say, years from now Kmet will probably remember this week's game. It will be the finale to his rookie season and a win would earn his team a spot in the playoffs.

"As a player, the lead up to this is pretty exciting," Kmet said. "We all know the meaning behind it and the history behind it. The preparation for the whole week, you feel it. We're feeling it this whole week and we're all really excited to go."

Kmet has caught at least two passes in each of the past four games. He had a quiet game last time against Green Bay (one catch for eight yards on Nov. 29), but he's clicking at the right time, along with quarterback Mitch Trubisky and the rest of the Bears' offense.

"The more you see these defenses and how they disguise things and the way that certain players play, that's something that I've learned to really hone in on during the week," Kmet said. "That's something I've been getting better and better at as the week goes on."