The Packers have no one left to fear in the NFC

Reasonable minds can differ about the NFC's best team. But with little separating those at the top of the conference, the Packers should feel good about their chances against anyone.

Entering Week 15, the NFC finally appears to offer some clarity. In this moment, the standings and the underlying metrics largely see the same teams at the top. That group includes the Green Bay Packers, who dispatched the division-rival Chicago Bears to retake the NFC North lead and move into the No. 2 position in the playoff race.

This scenario hardly seemed guaranteed as recently as four weeks ago. At that time, the Packers had just dropped their second straight winnable game due in no small part to head coach Matt LaFleur’s unwillingness to shift tactics. While Green Bay had enough banked wins to remain in the playoff field, the team’s championship aspirations looked improbable.

That narrative has turned 180 degrees, and not merely because the Packers have won four straight. Not only have they dispatched each of their NFC North rivals in back-to-back-to-back contests, but they trailed in those matchups for only three minutes and 38 seconds combined. Green Bay controlled those games from start to finish, and the victories reflect that domination.

Sunday’s victory didn’t seal the division for the Packers, but it put them comfortably in the driver’s seat. With an upcoming schedule that includes another matchup with Chicago and a regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings, they wouldn’t necessarily need to win either of their other matchups to take the NFC North, according to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator.

But the Packers’ ambitions obviously extend beyond finishing atop the NFC North. They hope to claim one of the top seeds in the conference and then fight their way to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara. At least right now, that seems realistic, as no other team in the NFC appears above their class.