The Bears rocked Soldier Field and the NFC North title chase on Saturday night with their 22-16 comeback victory in overtime against the Packers.
On Sunday afternoon, the Lions failed to pull off a similar rally against the Steelers, leaving their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
Now the Bears (11-4) can wrap up the division title with a win on Monday night against the 49ers out west or with a Packers loss to the Ravens on Saturday night. The Packers (9-5-1) can clinch a playoff spot and finish off the Lions (8-7) with a win against visiting Baltimore or with a Lions loss to the Vikings (7-8) on Christmas Day.
As we enter the home stretch, our beat writers for the Bears (Dan Wiederer), Packers (Matt Schneidman), Lions (Colton Pouncy) and Vikings (Alec Lewis) gathered to break down some burning NFC North questions.
How serious are the Bears as playoff contenders?
Wiederer: In a season like this? Very, very serious. Sure, the Bears are flawed. An ordinary pass rush and inconsistent quarterback play are not to be taken lightly. But they also lead the NFL in takeaways (31) and turnover margin (plus-21) and are averaging an NFC-best 152.1 rushing yards per game. That’s a formula to stay competitive in any game against any opponent. And the X-factors for this team are its late-game belief and the consistent game-on-the-line magic from quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears are 7-2 in one-score games, with six of those victories coming with game-winning scores in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime. A six-game Soldier Field winning streak is also notable as the Bears look to secure the NFC North title and a home playoff game or two.
Schneidman: There’s plenty of parity in the NFL this season, but I still think the Bears are a year away from being able to make a deep playoff run. Can they win a game in the postseason? Of course. Williams has a penchant for magic, their offensive line and run game are stout and their defense can take the ball away at any time. But odds are they’ll host the Packers in the wild-card round, and Green Bay has largely outplayed them in both matchups this season. Even if the Bears go one-and-done, that shouldn’t take away from what Johnson has done in Year 1 to transform the culture in Chicago and elevate the Bears from an NFL laughingstock to a playoff threat.
Pouncy: We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we? What the Bears have going for them is Ben Johnson. Having covered him in Detroit for years, his offense is the ultimate confidence-instiller. You can go into most games believing you can keep pace, believing you’ll find a way, believing you have a chance to win, because of what he can dial up in a gotta-have-it situation. This team relies on each other and has made the necessary plays down the stretch of games. It’s been impressive to see. I do wonder if the Bears can sustain the volume of takeaways they’ve been able to generate, and sure, the Bears have benefited from a fourth-place schedule. But at a certain point, it could just be who you are. The NFC is wide open, and the Bears are playing with house money. This season is a success, no matter what happens from here. The sort of naivety they play with could be a strength — not a weakness.
Lewis: I think they’re capable of winning a game or two. The offense won’t be fun to face. One of the most underrated elements of what makes head coach and play caller Ben Johnson special is his ability to adjust within a game. That’s critical come playoff time. I trust their run game against anyone. I also think quarterback Caleb Williams is too dangerous to dismiss. The defense scares me less, but the turnover tendency becomes part of the fabric of the unit that doesn’t often fade on a dime. Some in Minnesota have likened the 2025 Bears to the 2022 Vikings team that won double-digit games and lost in the wild-card round to the Giants. This Chicago team has more offensive firepower and a more capable defensive play caller in Dennis Allen.
What about the Packers? Is the loss of Micah Parsons too much for them to overcome?
Wiederer: Season-ending injuries to tight end Tucker Kraft, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt and, most significantly, Parsons have reduced Green Bay’s margin for error and splash potential for the postseason. Running back Josh Jacobs is also banged up and struggling to get going. That means a January run by the Packers will likely require quarterback Jordan Love to play above his normal performance level. Love has played well this season. But to propel the Packers through the NFC, he may need to elevate to an All-Pro tier and play his best football under the most demanding circumstances. Without Parsons, Green Bay’s secondary will also have to rise to the occasion. Going on the road as a wild card will only increase the degree of difficulty.
Schneidman: Too much to overcome to win a Super Bowl? I think so, yes. The Packers still have enough talent elsewhere to win a couple of games in the playoffs — their defense stifled the Bears for the vast majority of that game on Saturday — but Parsons was the guy who looked like he could finally get the Packers over the hump. Green Bay’s back end isn’t strong enough to consistently cover for as long as might be necessary without Parsons pressuring opposing quarterbacks, and it might be too much to ask for Love to guide shootout wins while hoping the defense holds firm all the way through Santa Clara.
Pouncy: That was a season-altering loss, no doubt. I watched Parsons terrorize the Lions’ offensive line to the tune of 3.5 sacks this season, walking away with a 2-0 record after the Lions had won six of the previous seven games. He covered up some holes in the secondary (that could be exposed when facing playoff QBs) and helped swing the NFC North pendulum in Green Bay’s favor for much of the season before the Bears seized control. I’m not sure what to make of them now. They’ll likely have to win on the road as a wild-card team, but if they get the Bears in Chicago, that’s a winnable game, considering it took a recovered onside kick against a backup quarterback for the Bears to avoid a season sweep. But making a run as a wild-card team is hard to do — and even harder without Parsons, Kraft and others Green Bay has lost along the way.
Lewis: The Parsons absence is brutal because I thought this Packers team had what it takes. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley does an excellent job. The talent in the secondary was the biggest surprise to me of what they’ve been able to accomplish this season. Offensively, I’m about as high on what Green Bay can do as anyone in the NFL. Love can make all of the throws, and the run game — schemed beautifully by coach Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich (who doesn’t get enough credit) — travels. I’ll be as fascinated as anyone to see how far this team can go in the playoffs.
A lot has to happen for the Lions to get in; what’s been the biggest issue for them?
Wiederer: What made the Lions so dangerous the last few years was how physical and rugged they were up front on both sides of the ball. This team is not like that. Exhibit A: the 389 rushing yards they’ve allowed in back-to-back losses to the Rams and Steelers. Exhibit B: the interior of the offensive line is entirely different than it was for the team’s last playoff game in January. On the back end of the defense, starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch and cornerback Terrion Arnold are all on injured reserve. Cornerback Amik Robertson is playing with a broken hand. And cornerback DJ Reed has lost some bounce since returning from a hamstring injury.
Schneidman: The easy answer is blaming their regression on losing coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, and maybe that has something to do with it, but they’ve endured some crushing injuries and too much turnover on the interior offensive line to remain atop the division, let alone the conference. As someone who watched two Lions-Packers games in full this season, Dan Campbell and company weren’t the bullies against Green Bay anymore, which was the case at times in recent seasons. That aura fades fast when you’re losing close games and missing the playoffs.
Lewis: It’s a lethal combination of losing Johnson as the play caller and a diminished interior offensive line. I already mentioned Johnson’s in-game adaptability. That, combined with his play sequencing, is special and almost impossible to replace. His synergy with quarterback Jared Goff gave them a chance against anyone, and the offense just doesn’t feel as potent. To me, going from Graham Glasgow, Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler to Christian Mahogany, Glasgow and Tate Ratledge on the interior torpedoed their identity in running the football. The defense has always been boom or bust. For me, Detroit’s struggles this season haven’t come as much of a surprise.
Pouncy: The guys above made this easy for me, but I’ll echo a few points. The Lions can still put up points, but they’re no longer matchup-proof like they were a year ago. They wanted to get younger at guard, letting Zeitler walk in free agency, and Ragnow’s retirement created a hole at center they haven’t been able to fill effectively. Goff has been hit the second-most times among QBs and the Lions have allowed the second-fastest time to pressure in the league (2.53 seconds). They’ve bullied teams with weaker fronts but have lost the line of scrimmage otherwise. Defensively, the rush and coverage haven’t worked in tandem. The Lions have pressured QBs at the fourth-slowest time on average (2.86), while injuries to the secondary have caught up with them. The Lions have allowed the most explosive passes in the league, and in an effort to change the scheme to account for those losses, they were gashed for 230 rushing yards by the Steelers. Add it all up and that’s how you get an 8-7 record, folks.
Can an NFC North team win the Super Bowl?
Wiederer: It’s hard to remember an NFL season like this one, with so many surprising teams emerging as contenders and so many perennial heavyweights faltering. Who would have projected an AFC tournament bracket without the Chiefs, Bengals and maybe even the Ravens? The NFC remains strong but also wide open. So, yes, the Bears and, to a lesser extent, the Packers have every right to dream the biggest dreams if they can find a way to hit stride in January. For me, the Rams, the Bills, the Seahawks are the most complete teams in the league at present. And there are probably a half-dozen others with equal or better chances to claim the Lombardi Trophy than the Bears and Packers. But, indeed, I am saying there’s a chance.
Schneidman: Not realistically, no. Nothing would surprise me given the balance across both conferences, but as I said, I think the Bears are a year away from true contention and the Parsons-less Packers simply aren’t capable of that deep a run. One of those teams might be eliminated by the second weekend, anyway, if they match up in the first round. I think it’ll be the Eagles or an NFC West team representing the NFC in the Super Bowl against the Jaguars or Bills.
Pouncy: Doubtful. I just don’t see it. I still think the Rams and Seahawks are the two best teams in the NFC right now, and beating one of those teams might be a tougher task than whoever they’d face in the AFC.
Lewis: I would be surprised. If Love can stay healthy and Hafley can scheme it up defensively, the Packers probably have the best chance. My belief in Johnson also makes it hard to discount the Bears’ ability to create shockwaves. In the end, I just view the Rams and potentially the Seahawks and 49ers as a cut above in the NFC. Then the subject of quarterbacks in the AFC has to be broached. I would be surprised if the Packers and Bears didn’t fight any team to the wire down the stretch, but I have a hard time talking Super Bowl.