While some battles are fought on the scoreboard, others take place in the media. After Ben Johnson’s bold claim, Green Bay Packers’ head coach, Matt LaFleur, let the final score do most of the talking, but not all of it. While some expected him to drop some bombs in the post-game presser, the 46-year-old focused on the result.

Asked whether he took any extra satisfaction in the result after Ben Johnson’s comment about beating him twice a year, LaFleur brushed it aside without much thought.

“Absolutely not. It’s Packers-Bears,” the Packers head coach said. “It’s a great rivalry and certainly with what was at stake in regards to positioning in the NFC North, that’s the only thing that matters. It was a quick handshake, and we’ll see them again in 2 weeks.”

This one mattered. The winner of the division earns a top-four seed, and for now, that spot belongs to Green Bay. The victory moved the Packers into third place in the conference standings, while the Bears slid to seventh. They lost the conference-record tiebreaker to the 49ers, but they’ll settle things on the field in Week 17.

Still, the road ahead isn’t exactly soft for the Packers. Over the final month of the regular season, the Packers face a mixed slate: a tough trip to Denver next week, and another date with Chicago looming after that. It’s part of why Matt LaFleur wasn’t too interested in gloating.

But credit to him for not taking a shot at Bears HC Ben Johnson after everything that went down when he took the Chicago job. He talked about how much he respects the coaches and players in the NFC North since he was an assistant coach at Detroit, and then proceeded to spice things up.

“And to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating [Green Bay Packers coach] Matt LaFleur twice a year,” he added.

Well, he would have loved to do it again as an HC. But he’s already lost the first meeting, and will hope to at least level the ground in Week 16.

As far as LaFleur goes, he’s earned the right to feel good about where his team is heading.

Packers’ gutsy win vs the Bears

The Packers let an 11-point halftime lead slip away in the second half, but they steadied themselves when it mattered. Josh Jacobs’ late touchdown run put Green Bay back on top, and Keisean Nixon’s interception in the end zone sealed a 28–21 win. It wasn’t smooth, but they found a way to finish. That’s what matters.

Defensively, the Packers were running on fumes after the break. At one point, the Bears held a 34–10 edge in plays, and Green Bay couldn’t get off the field. Nixon himself had a rough stretch, drawing two personal fouls, but he delivered when the entire game hinged on a single snap.

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The offense, meanwhile, finally stretched the field the way it’s built to. Christian Watson pulled away from defenders on both of his 20-plus-yard touchdown grabs. Bo Melton slipped behind the secondary for a 45-yard score. And after an early interception, Jordan Love settled in and threw three touchdowns, each for more than 20 yards

The Packers have known for weeks that the final month of the regular season would be a gauntlet. They’ve cleared the first obstacle, but the path ahead isn’t easing up. Next week brings a trip to Denver to face a Broncos defense that has been as good as anyone’s over the past month. Another test is coming.