Week 14 to Week 5. It has been some journey since then.
It was December 7. Keisean Nixon intercepted Caleb Williams in the end zone for a game-sealing play, helping the Green Bay Packers fend off the Chicago Bears and improve to 9-3-1.
The Packers had won four in a row and beaten all three division rivals in consecutive weeks. Jordan Love had entered the MVP race. Micah Parsons was on fire. Green Bay had hit its stride and looked ready to mount a serious Super Bowl challenge.
They were the good ol' days we'd soon miss. The Packers just didn't know it yet.
Everything began to spiral out of control a week later. Green Bay led the Denver Broncos, an AFC powerhouse, on the road. Then Christian Watson went down on the same play as a game-changing Love interception. The Packers lost Parsons and Zach Bako-Bewele for the season.
They never recovered. All that hope and expectation disappeared as the Packers slumped to five straight defeats, including two fourth-quarter meltdowns in Chicago and an absolute hammering by the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau.
That malaise carried over into this season. The Packers stumbled out of the gates and were lucky to escape with wins over the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They suffered an all-too-familiar collapse in Minnesota, and then another crushing defeat to Atlanta at Lambeau. The injury woes also worsened.
But Week 5 brought another sense of familiarity. The Bears at Lambeau. 31-7. A resounding win, one that allowed Packers fans, and perhaps the players, to release all the frustration and regret from the offseason.
A statement win? Maybe. But only if the Packers bottle that performance and carry it with them. This is the standard, the lofty heights they can reach. It needs to be their turning point.
Matt LaFleur said it best: 'That is the standard that we have to accept'
Matt LaFleur had a clear message for his team in the locker room:
"That is the standard that we have to accept every time we step on that f------- field. And it doesn't just happen on game day. It happens throughout the course of the week, by preparing the right way, by practicing the right way, and coming with the mindset to lock that f------ cage," LaFleur said in the locker room postgame.
If Ben Johnson has taught us anything, though, it's that actions speak louder than words.
LaFleur is right, of course. That is the standard. The Packers looked far more prepared and far more locked in than we'd previously seen this season.
They entered Week 5 with more drops and fumbles than any other team. Only the Cleveland Browns had more penalties. It's the quickest way to lose football games.
On Sunday, the Packers played with a focus and discipline and ruthlessness they haven't displayed this year. The numbers speak for themselves.
Packers' penalties per game in 2026
Week | Penalties |
|---|---|
1 | 12 |
2 | 14 |
3 | 6 |
4 | 10 |
5 | 4 |
Green Bay played its cleanest game of the season. That's one way to prevent hitting the self-destruct button. Some weeks you get bad luck and officials make some strange calls (we're looking at you, Week 1), but the Packers hadn't done enough to help themselves in the opening four games.
Turnovers also play a huge role.
Packers' turnover differential per game in 2026
Week | Turnover Differential |
|---|---|
1 | -1 |
2 | -1 |
3 | 0 |
4 | 0 |
5 | +5 |
It undoubtedly helped that the Packers faced two backup quarterbacks in Week 5 – Tyson Bagent threw two interceptions, Case Keenum one, and the Bears lost two fumbles. But just as importantly, it was the first time all season that Green Bay hadn't turned the ball over.
We're talking about the fundamentals of winning football games.
Win the turnover battle. Limit penalties. Play a clean game. Don't make unforced errors, like drops. Run the ball (fair enough, that's still a work in progress).
If the Packers can do those things, and the offensive line can play just well enough (we're not asking for All-Pro-level protection), they will give Jordan Love a chance to do Jordan Love things. And help is on the way, with Kevin Zeitler nearing his debut and Micah Parsons inching closer to a return.
The Packers had more energy and desire than the Bears. They wanted it more. Most importantly, they played a clean game and put the result in Love's hands. That's what it will take moving forward.
It's one thing to show up for a rivalry game, a revenge game. It's another to reach this level every week.
LaFleur is right: This is the standard.
Add us as a preferred source on Google