With Win Over Bears, Packers Take Another Step Toward NFC North Title

Green Bay, who locked up a postseason spot on Sunday, didn’t slam the door on Chicago until the final second of the game, but it effectively shut down all playoff hopes for the Bears.

Jaire Alexander celebrates a play against Allen Robinson / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

At Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon, the Bears almost scored twice in the last nine seconds of the game against the Packers, which would have put them in position to tie the game and keep their playoff hopes alive. First came a Hail Mary, nearly caught by Chicago WR Riley Ridley after Green Bay CB Jaire Alexander tipped the ball back to him in the end zone. That was followed by a wacky lateral pitch play coming with one second left on the clock; if Bears TE Jesper Horsted had glanced behind him and seen the open Allen Robinson, there’s a good chance Chicago’s lateral improv would have ended with a Robinson touchdown.

And Robinson certainly thought so. He balled up his fists and raised his arms in frustration as Horsted went to the ground and Green Bay recovered the football, shutting down what could have been a major setback in a close NFC playoff race. 

The Packers’ eight-point lead proved too large a deficit for a Bears’ offense that has been a roller-coaster ride all season, and Green Bay’s 21-13 victory ended Chicago’s three-game winning streak. In addition, the Cowboys topped the Rams 44-15, which means Green Bay has clinched a playoff spot, making head coach Matt LaFleur the first first-year head coach to make the playoffs in Packers history.

In the 200th meeting for the division rivals, Green Bay held off a late surge from Chicago, all but extinguishing any postseason fantasy for the Bears. After the Vikings took care of the Chargers later in the day, Chicago was officially knocked out of the playoff hunt—a notion that was already a stretch even if they had managed to beat Green Bay.

Head coach Matt Nagy showed more confidence in his offense with some aggressive playcalling. The Bears went for it twice on fourth-and-medium situations, and once on fourth-and-long, but failed to convert all three. As has been the theme of Trubisky’s three-year NFL career, the Bears quarterback made several impressive off-platform throws on the run, but his performance was uneven and Chicago’s offense failed to score more than one touchdown in the game.

But when it mattered most, Trubisky threw a costly interception. Chicago had the ball back with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, needing eight points to tie the game, which is plenty of time to score and get the ball back another time to go for the win. On second-and-four from the Bears 46-yard-line, Trubisky appeared to throw in the direction of running back Tarik Cohen, but Green Bay defensive end Dean Lowry put up both hands and tipped the ball to himself for the interception, halting Chicago’s late momentum.

With this win, the 11-3 Packers are in control of the division and their playoff future. A win next week against 10-4 Minnesota locks up the NFC North divisional title. The team is a long shot for the No. 1 seed in the NFC—Green Bay will need to win out and need both the Seahawks and 49ers to lose in Week 16—but they’re in good position to still land the No. 2 seed and a bye in the NFC. Green Bay and New Orleans both have three losses, but the Packers own the tiebreaker on the Saints because of conference record.

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