Finally, a win that feels like one. A fourth-quarter lead, over the Chicago Bears no less, that did not vanish like a puff of October breath. And somehow, the Green Bay Packers find themselves a game above .500 after a 31-7 thrashing that left Bears head coach Ben Johnson tame and subdued for the postgame handshake with Matt LaFleur.
No one is shouting 'F--- the Packers' in that locker room, I bet. Chicago best focus on its own flaws for now.
As for the Green and Gold, Week 5 was nearly all positive. Jordan Love was bombs away all game, the floodgates finally opened for Jonathan Gannon's turnover-seeking defense, and the offensive line held up for a second straight week.
If there's anyone dissatisfied with his performance, it's rookie kicker Trey Smack, one of the two losers outweighed by the many winners below.
Biggest winners and losers for Packers in dominant win over Bears
Loser: Trey Smack
First, let's get the concerning/depressing stuff out of the way.
Smack has already shown he can boot it through from downtown, but the medium-to-short ones remain more of a slot-wheel spin than they should be. Against the Bears, the rookie sixth-rounder missed his second extra point of the year and went 1-of-3 on field goals, including whiffs from 43 and 47.
Fortunately in this one, the Packers gave themselves plenty of cushion to avoid death by kicker.
Loser: Javon Hargrave
You hate to see it. With under two minutes to go and the game out of reach, the Packers' veteran defensive lineman went down with what has since been confirmed as an Achilles injury, ending his 2026 season. Banged up and bruised since training camp, Hargrave never had a chance to get healthy.
Now he faces a long road to recovery. Returning to performance, if he does return next season, will be even more difficult with Hargrave turning 34 in February.
Winner: Jordan Love
Love was sacked twice but shockingly had an operational pocket to work with in consecutive weeks. Exploiting the Bears' injured secondary, he completed a pair of 40-yard howitzers to Christian Watson and one each to Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft.
All in all, Love notched six completions of 30 yards or more en route to throwing for the most yards, per the live TV broadcast, of any Packers quarterback against the Bears at Lambeau Field. His final line: 25-of-31 for 367 yards and two touchdowns, with a near-perfect 95.2 QBR.
Winner: Christian Watson/Matthew Golden
What else is new? Watson finished with six catches for 143 yards and both of Green Bay's receiving scores, while Golden went for six and 123.
Watson's play of the day came on a 53-yard touchdown he plucked from his defender's head on third-and-22. It was his fourth game this season reaching the end zone.
It was also the third time both receivers eclipsed 95-plus receiving yards in the same game. Yeah, that'll work. This Watson-Golden duo already demands recognition as one of the league's elite.
Winner: Xavier McKinney
Where did McKinney's playmaking havoc go last season? We don't know, but whatever the case, he has it back with Gannon at defensive coordinator. McKinney's two interceptions against Chicago give him three in all, topping his total in '25 and putting him well in range to rival his eight-INT All-Pro campaign the year before.
In a way, it was McKinney who rang the death knell on the Bears. After being picked off by McKinney a second time, Bears starting quarterback Tyson Bagent was yanked for Case Keenum. Keenum promptly threw one of his own and fumbled on consecutive possessions, but the game was over long before then.
Winner: Ty'Ron Hopper
Hopper welcomed Keenum into the game with his own interception, shortly after nearly intercepting a pass at the goal line. It was Hopper's first of his career and the officially official dagger in case the Bears were contemplating a comeback after a QB change and a long kickoff return.
On the field a lot more after Edgerrin Cooper's devastating Week 4 Achilles injury, Hopper made a strong case for a regular role moving forward. In fact, he outsnapped Isaiah McDuffie behind veteran starter Zaire Franklin, 38 to 32.
Winner: Dani Dennis-Sutton
Rather quiet since Week 2 against the New York Jets, Dennis-Sutton laid the wood on the Bears in the standout game of his young career.
In addition to recording his first full sack late in the game - Ben Johnson, bro, just run out the clock - the rookie defensive end made two tackles for loss and batted a pass as he menaced the line of scrimmage. The Bears weren't ready, but Packers fans won't be surprised to see more of the same from Dennis-Sutton as the season progresses.
Winner: Devonte Wyatt
After inking a three-year, $57 million extension in July, Wyatt started the season quietly through four games. Well, quiet no more. Wyatt made himself heard with not one but two sacks in Week 5, plus two TFLs, pushing back Bears blockers all game as the Packers dominated the defensive trenches.
With Hargrave gone and second-year DT Warren Brinson on IR, Green Bay will need Wyatt to be a consistent leader on the defensive front. As he moves farther and farther from last November's year-ending ankle fracture, was Sunday just one good game, or is he ready to hit his stride?
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