Bears vs. Packers: After Sunday Night, Is Green Bay Still NFL's Team to Beat?

So on Sunday night at Lambeau Field we watched a banged up Chicago Bears team lose 35-21 to the now 14-1 Green Bay Packers. It was a game that we all expected the Packers to win and a loss would have been quite shocking to say the least.

Well, since we look at this game as just a 14-point victory for the cheese, are they still the team to beat?

Yes.

The main reason is because after a tough loss on the road to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15, the Packers were a vulnerable bunch despite playing at home.

The Bears were a team with nothing to lose, still had their defensive unit intact (injuries have plagued the offense), and being that Chicago is a division rival, they obviously know the Packers quite well.

Not to mention with WR Greg Jennings out, the Packers were without one of their best players as well. Still, though, Chicago's defense could stop Green Bay. After giving the Packers everything they could in the first half, the cheese-heads were still up 14-3.

The Bears got a quick score in the second half to cut the lead to 14-10, but then Green Bay proceeded to score 21 unanswered points and go up 35-10 shortly after the fourth-quarter began.

That right there is how a great team responds.

When an inferior opponent is keeping it close and you just decide to take over the game. Especially after a loss the week before, having the mentality to bounce back when the Bears had a lot of momentum was crucial.

In Week 16, QB Aaron Rodgers tossed five TDs and went 21-of-29 for 282 yards. His QB rating was 142.7 and although it was the Bears, to still be playing at that high of a level with arguably your best WR out is damn impressive.

The defense continues to force turnovers and has improved at forcing punts and defending the pass. Defending the run still needs improvement, but Green Bay's ease at which it puts points on the board can counteract suspect play on the other side of the ball.

As for the postseason, Green Bay has locked up home-field advantage and could be the only outdoor cold-weather city team in the NFC if the Giants lose to Dallas in Week 17. In turn, that's a major advantage, and we've seen other NFC teams struggle on the road in the playoffs (other than the Giants).

All in all, it's all about how you respond and what you do thereafter. The Packers proved their superiority in Week 16 and that will continue into next week and the playoffs.

So, there is no reason to believe Green Bay won't dominate in the postseason. Hence, they're still the team to beat.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @Sportswriter27