The Green Bay Packers have to be feeling okay about their 8-3-1 record with five games to go. Specifically, they’re riding a three-game winning streak after a rough stretch in early November, and they’re also coming off a statement win over the Detroit Lions.

The Packers swept the Lions on Thanksgiving thanks to a 31-24 win an they’re now 3-0 against NFC North opponents.

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That’s great, especially after last season’s 1-5 record against the NFC North, but the job is far from finished.

The Packers currently find themselves looking up at the Chicago Bears in the division standings as well as in the conference. In fact, as it currently stands, the Bears are the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.

The good news for Green Bay is that it does control its own destiny with two games against the Bears in the next three weeks. The Pack can take the north by going 2-0 against Chicago and even make a run at that top seed in the NFC.

This is a “one game at a time” league, so the Pack can’t afford to look ahead. They also know what’s at stake during this stretch, though, and the pursuit of all of their bigger goals in 2025 starts with this Week 14 game against the much-improved Bears at Lambeau Field.

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“I’d say yeah. I think there was going to be a lot of juice to it regardless, but the top spot is where we want to be,” Watson said on Tuesday, talking about how the Bears actually looking like a contender in the NFC will add to this historic rivalry. “Really, we’re starting with the NFC North. They’re the top of the NFC North right now. So we’re coming for that spot.”

That’s the right mindset for Watson and the Packers to have, and it’s worth noting that if Green Bay wants to win this one, Watson will have to be a big part of it.

The former second-round pick out of North Dakota State has come on in a big way in his fourth NFL season. He missed the first chunk of the season as he recovered from an ACL injury he suffered (ironically) against the Bears in the 2024 finale, but Watson has looked better than ever since returning in late October.

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In just six games, he’s caught 21 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns. He’s averaging 17.3 yards per catch (ranked 21st in the NFL) and he’s quickly become Jordan Love’s favorite target.

The Bears are giving up 225.5 yards per game through the air, which is middle of the pack in the NFL, if not slightly below average.

Watson and the Packers do have the opportunity to take advantage of that and if they do, they’ll make a massive statement not just in the NFC North, but in the NFC in general.