3 Takeaways from Packers' Week 17 Win

When the NFL playoffs get underway Saturday, the Green Bay Packers won't be in action. That's because for the first time since the 2011 season, they have earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

On Sunday, the Packers secured the top spot in the conference by defeating the Chicago Bears 35-16 at Soldier Field, sweeping the season series against Chicago in the process.

This time, the Bears trailed by only five points for most of the fourth quarter, but the Packers scored a pair of touchdowns in the final four minutes to seal the victory. Needing a win to secure the No. 1 seed, Green Bay pulled it out to finish the regular season at 13-3.

Now, the Packers will wait to see who they will host in the divisional round. It could be the Bears, who are the No. 7 seed, if they upset the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card Round.

Here are three takeaways from Green Bay's win in Sunday's regular-season finale.

Rodgers Put Finishing Touches on Likely NFL MVP Campaign

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It's hard to argue against Aaron Rodgers' case for the NFL MVP Award this season. The Packers quarterback passed for 4,299 yards, a league-high 48 touchdowns and five interceptions while playing all 16 games, leading Green Bay to its second straight 13-win season.

Rodgers' 48 touchdown passes are a new franchise record, breaking his own record of 45, which he set during the 2011 season. That was when the Packers went 15-1 a season after winning the Super Bowl, and Rodgers won his first NFL MVP that year.

In Sunday's regular-season finale, Rodgers went 19-of-24 for 240 yards and four touchdowns, marking the seventh time that he threw four touchdown passes in a game this season. He also did it in Green Bay's Week 16 win over the Tennessee Titans.

"The MVP should be locked up," Packers wide receiver Davante Adams said, according to Wes Hodkiewicz of the team website. "There's nothing else to really talk about. You look at what we've done and what he's been able to do, and they've hit him with everything."

Rodgers is likely more focused on trying to win his second Super Bowl championship. But there's a strong chance he's going to receive his third NFL MVP honor along the way. And if he continues to play this well, he could also help Green Bay end the season by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

Defense Came Up with Big Plays Late to Seal Win

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

The Bears had some offensive success in this game, particularly early. They compiled 356 total yards, scored a touchdown on the game's opening drive and had 16 points through three quarters. However, they didn't add any more points in the fourth quarter while trying to orchestrate a come-from-behind victory.

When the Packers defense needed to make big plays late, that's just what it did. Chicago tried to convert a 4th-and-1 from Green Bay's 25-yard line, but quarterback Mitchell Trubisky threw an incomplete pass and the Bears turned it over on downs. That led to Green Bay taking a 28-16 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by running back Aaron Jones with 3:47 to go.

On the second play of Chicago's ensuing possession, Trubisky was intercepted by safety Adrian Amos. Three plays later, Green Bay extended its lead to 35-16 on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Adams.

Amos' interception was the Packers' second takeaway of the game. Green Bay also did a good job of keeping Chicago out of the end zone throughout the contest, limiting it to one touchdown in five trips to the red zone.

"We try not to make those same mistakes that we were making earlier in the year in the red zone," Amos said, per Hodkiewicz. "I feel like we're getting better each and every week."

Considering how well the Packers continue to play on offense, if their defense also keeps performing at a high level, there could be a deep postseason run for them on the horizon.

Packers Enter Playoffs with Momentum, Among Favorites to Win It All

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Packers enter the NFL playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league. They ended the regular season with six consecutive wins, a streak bookended by victories over the Bears. And they won their seventh NFC North title in the past 10 seasons.

However, Green Bay hasn't made it past the NFC Championship Game during that stretch, falling one win short of the Super Bowl three times. That includes last season, when the No. 2-seeded Packers went on the road and lost to the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers.

This season, Green Bay is one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl title. It will likely face tough competition on the NFC side of the bracket from either the New Orleans Saints or Seattle Seahawks. And if the Packers reach the Super Bowl, it's possible they could face the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

While resting during wild-card weekend, the Packers will also have to find a way to maintain their momentum. They won't be in action again until either Jan. 16 or Jan. 17, and in the past, some teams have come out slow following a first-round bye.

But as long as Green Bay continues to play the way it has for most of the past two months, there's no reason to think this special season won't end with a Super Bowl appearance.