GREEN BAY – The Packers' defense is getting things turned around when it comes to turnovers.
But Sunday night's three takeaways against the Bears, which gave Green Bay eight in its last four games and now 12 on the season, wasn't a peak performance in Head Coach Matt LaFleur's mind.
"The thing is, there's more out there," LaFleur said Monday in a Zoom call with reporters from his house, due to the NFL-mandated shutdown of team facilities for the first two days of this week.
"The potential is there. That could have easily been a five-turnover performance."
Safety Darnell Savage's two interceptions and Za'Darius Smith's strip-sack, with Preston Smith returning the fumble for a touchdown, collectively had a huge impact in the 41-25 triumph.
But LaFleur also mentioned a couple of times cornerback Kevin King had his hands on Mitch Trubisky passes, and another time Trubisky put the ball on the ground on the read-option.
With five regular-season games left, the Packers will need a barrage of turnovers to match last year's total of 25, but the opportunities being there of late is a good sign for the stretch run. Green Bay just has to cash in.
King dropping a potential interception in the end zone late in the game stood out because Chicago's ensuing touchdown, its second of the fourth quarter, got the Bears within two scores after the Packers led 41-10 heading into the last period.
As the Bears put together the late scoring drives of 65 and 82 yards, the good news was they didn't make any big plays and were forced to use a ton of clock. The bad news was the Packers allowed a fourth-down conversion that kept the first drive alive when a stop there with 13 minutes left would have allowed for massive substitutions across the board the rest of the way.
"Obviously, you'd like to close it out at the end of the game," LaFleur said. "There's no doubt about that. There were a few mistakes that we made that are totally within our control, that if you make those plays, we're not even talking about this right now.
"It's that fourth-and-11, we lost leverage on an out cut. That can't happen. Also, the missed interception in the end zone, we gotta make those plays."
What LaFleur liked best about the defensive outing, aside from the three turnovers, was the third quarter showing.
Chicago had scored just before halftime to get within 27-10 and got the ball to start the second half.
View some of the best photos from the Sunday Night Football Packers-Bears matchup at Lambeau Field on Nov. 29, 2020.
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Defensive linemen Billy Winn and Tyler Lancaster
WR Davante Adams
QB Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
LB Za'Darius Smith
DL Kenny Clark
TE Marcedes Lewis
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
RB Aaron Jones
RB Aaron Jones
QB Aaron Rodgers
WR Allen Lazard
QB Aaron Rodgers
WR Allen Lazard
RB Aaron Jones
RB Aaron Jones
G Elgton Jenkins and T David Bakhtiari
RB Aaron Jones
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Offensive line
C Corey Linsley
WR Davante Adams
Touchdown celebration
Touchdown celebration
TE Jace Sternberger
S Vernon Scott
LB Rashan Gary
LB Kamal Martin
LB Za'Darius Smith
LB Za'Darius Smith
S Raven Greene
Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Line of scrimmage
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
QB Aaron Rodgers
T David Bakhtiari
WR Equanimeous St. Brown
G Elgton Jenkins
RB Jamaal Williams
C Corey Linsley
QB Aaron Rodgers
TE Marcedes Lewis
TE Marcedes Lewis
Touchdown celebration
K Mason Crosby
K Mason Crosby
LB Ty Summers
LB De'Jon Harris
S Raven Greene
CB Kevin King
DL Dean Lowry
Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
QB Aaron Rodgers
G/T Billy Turner
G Lucas Patrick
G Lucas Patrick
WR Allen Lazard
QB Aaron Rodgers
WR Allen Lazard
Touchdown celebration
Wide receivers Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling
QB Aaron Rodgers, G Lucas Patrick and WR Allen Lazard
LB Ty Summers
LB Rashan Gary
CB Chandon Sullivan
LB Rashan Gary and S Adrian Amos
LB Preston Smith
LB Rashan Gary
LB Preston Smith
LB Preston Smith
Packers defense
Packers defense
K Mason Crosby
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
LB De'Jon Harris and S Vernon Scott
Packers defense
DL Tyler Lancaster
CB Chandon Sullivan
CB Kevin King
K Mason Crosby
DL Kenny Clark
CB Chandon Sullivan
LB Preston Smith
LB Oren Burks
TE Jace Sternberger
G Lucas Patrick
Offensive line
LS Hunter Bradley
P JK Scott
P JK Scott
DL Kingsley Keke
Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
LB Christian Kirksey
S Darnell Savage
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
RB Aaron Jones
G/T Billy Turner
TE Robert Tonyan
TE Robert Tonyan
Tight ends Jace Sternberger and Robert Tonyan
TE Robert Tonyan
RB Aaron Jones and TE Robert Tonyan
LS Hunter Bradley
CB Kevin King
S Raven Greene
Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
CB Jaire Alexander
WR Equanimeous St. Brown
RB Jamaal Williams
RB Jamaal Williams
RB Jamaal Williams
G Elgton Jenkins
G Lucas Patrick and QB Aaron Rodgers
G Jon Runyan
RB Jamaal Williams
LB Preston Smith
S Raven Greene
Fans watch the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears during a regular season game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
S Raven Greene and CB Jaire Alexander
S Adrian Amos
P JK Scott
S Will Redmond
LB Christian Kirksey
S Raven Greene
QB Aaron Rodgers
RB Jamaal Williams
QB Tim Boyle
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
LB Kamal Martin and WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
QB Aaron Rodgers
But the Packers held the Bears to just one first down before getting back-to-back sacks to force a punt. Then, after Savage's second interception on Chicago's next possession, the Packers got another three-and-out.
Reclaiming momentum defensively in that third quarter didn't happen the week before at Indianapolis, and it was a huge factor in the overtime defeat. On offense and defense, the Packers got command of the Bears game after having it elude them in the Colts game.
"To start the second half, that was outstanding defense," LaFleur said. "It goes back to that fourth quarter. You'd like to be able to put the nail in the coffin at that moment."
