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."