Jordan Love threw for 316 yards and connected with Dontayvion Wicks on a pair of touchdowns as the Packers earned a wild-card berth with a 17-9 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The Packers bounced back from a 2-5 start by winning seven of their last 10 games, including three straight.
The Packers (9-8) needed a win to reach the playoffs. Green Bay delivered by beating the Bears (7-10) for a 10th consecutive time.
Green Bay was in a similar situation for its regular-season finale last year, but lost 20-16 at home to the Detroit Lions in Aaron Rodgers' last game with the Packers. The Packers traded Rodgers to the New York Jets less than four months later to make way for Love, a 2020 first-round draft pick from Utah State.
Love guided the NFL's youngest team to the postseason by throwing 18 touchdown passes and one interception over his last eight games.
Green Bay is the NFC's No. 7 seed and will visit NFC East champion Dallas (12-5) next Sunday in a matchup with Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who guided the Packers from 2006-18 and led them to their last Super Bowl title.
Love went 27 of 32 as Green Bay never punted all day. Love threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Wicks that put Green Bay ahead for good midway through the second quarter and found the rookie fifth-round pick in the end zone again for a 12-yard score in the third.
Jayden Reed caught four passes for 112 yards. Wicks had six catches for 61 yards to go with his two touchdowns. Bo Melton had five receptions for 62 yards less than a week after the Packers signed him to their active roster from the practice squad.
Green Bay's Aaron Jones rushed for 111 yards on 22 carries, his third straight 100-yard performance.
Chicago now heads into the offseason facing a major question about its quarterback situation. The Bears have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft and must decide whether to keep Justin Fields or select his potential replacement.
The Bears had the first overall pick last year but traded it to Carolina, which used it to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Part of the package the Bears got in exchange was Carolina's No. 1 selection this year, which will be the top overall selection since the Panthers (2-15) had the NFL's worst record.
Fields went 11 of 16 for 148 yards on Sunday, but he couldn't get the Bears into the end zone. He was sacked five times and had eight carries for 27 yards.
The Bears reached Packers territory on each of their six series, but had only nine points to show for it.
Cairo Santos capped the game’s first series with a 50-yard field goal that bounced off the left upright before going through. Santos also had a 39-yarder late in the second quarter and a 35-yarder early in the fourth.
The Bears got inside Green Bay's 35 midway through the fourth quarter, but a holding penalty and a sack caused the drive to stall and forced a punt. Green Bay took over at its own 6 with 6:08 left and held the ball the rest of the game.
Bears RG Nate Davis hurt his foot and Packers WR Romeo Doubs injured his chest in the first half. Bears DB Terell Smith hurt his quadriceps and Bears TE Cole Kmet injured his forearm in the second half.
The Packers will travel to Dallas next Sunday afternoon at 3:30 pm.
