The Green Bay Packers are 8-3-1 and second in the NFC North. Nobody could have seen this coming a year ago, but they’re currently looking up in the North standings at the 9-3 Chicago Bears.

And sure, has there been a bit of a fool’s gold element to Chicago’s record this season? Yes. An unbiased look at what they’ve done this year would reveal that their point differential is +6. Before beating the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend, it was -6.

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There are also questions about just how good quarterback Caleb Williams really is. Also, all the credit in the world belongs to Chicago head coach Ben Johnson for this turnaround, but how far can he really take this team in year one of his regime? To be frank, the Bears are going to be a big problem moving forward in the NFC North as long as he keeps this up, but there is reason to believe that they haven’t arrived just yet.

And still, the Packers still trail the Bears in the NFC North. Sure, they haven’t played each other yet, but you are what your record says you are in the NFL, and right now the Bears are on top.

Throw in the fact that this matchup features one of the greatest and long-standing rivalries in sports, and there’s absolutely a ton on the line in this game. That’s why the Packers are taking this team seriously.

“It’s business as usual, but we know what’s at stake,” linebacker Isaiah McDuffie said this week, according to Mike Spofford of the team website. “We know they’re the top of the division right now and that’s where we wanna be, so we know the task at hand.”

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Going back to Chicago’s 24-15 road win over the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, that was a moment that brought a lot of legitimacy to what the Bears are doing. Specifically, they rushed for 281 yards as a team against a very good Philly defensive front. Kyle Monangai rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown while D’Andre Swift added 125 yards and a touchdown of his own.

“It shows that they’re a serious team,” safety Xavier McKinney said of Chicago’s win over Philadelphia. “It shows that they’re not messing around. They’re trying to do exactly what we’re trying to do.”

These are some strong thoughts on the Bears. The Packers clearly have a respect for what Chicago is doing, despite the rivalry, and you can bet that there’s not one player in this locker room who will be looking past the Bears to the big matchup against the Denver Broncos in Week 15.

There’s respect, but let’s not mistake it for friendship, either.

“Still don’t like them, they don’t like us, and it’s going to be fun,” running back Josh Jacobs said.