The Packers had every reason to feel the game slipping late in the fourth quarter. Momentum tilted, and it looked like Green Bay might let this one get away. But they closed it out and walked off with their fourth straight win. They’re now 4-0 in the division. You wouldn’t have known it from Matt LaFleur’s reaction.

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 lose the conference-record tiebreaker to the 49ers. Well, 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 for tonight at least, they’ve earned the right to feel good about where they’re 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 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.