Packers Reclaim NFC North Lead with Thrilling Win Over Bears, Keisean Nixon Seals It in Style
In a game that felt like it could tilt either way until the final seconds, the Green Bay Packers came up with the one play that mattered most. With the Chicago Bears driving for a potential game-tying touchdown, Keisean Nixon stepped in front of a Caleb Williams pass in the end zone and shut the door on the Bears' comeback hopes.
Final score: Packers 28, Bears 21. And with that, Green Bay is back on top of the NFC North.
This wasn’t just another rivalry win-it was a statement. A gut-check.
The kind of game that defines playoff pushes and tests a team’s mettle down the stretch. The Packers, now 9-3-1, are 4-0 in the division and hold the tiebreaker advantage.
With four games left, they control their own destiny in one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions.
NFC Playoff Picture (as it stands):
- Los Angeles Rams (10-3)
- Green Bay Packers (9-3-1)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-3)
- San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
- Chicago Bears (9-4)
Detroit Lions (8-5)
9.
Carolina Panthers (7-6)
10.
Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)
11.
Minnesota Vikings (5-8)
The Bears, who entered the weekend as the NFC’s top seed, now find themselves in the No. 7 slot. That’s how razor-thin the margin is in this playoff race. One loss, one interception, and the entire landscape shifts.
Packers Pass First Test in Tough Season-Closing Stretch
Matt LaFleur’s squad is staring down a brutal final five games, and this was the first major hurdle. They cleared it-barely-but in the NFL, style points don’t matter in December.
Wins do. And this one was massive.
The Packers showed grit late in the fourth quarter after the Bears clawed back into striking distance. Green Bay’s offense had done its job, but it was the defense that had to close.
That’s when Nixon made his play-a clutch interception in the end zone that will be replayed in highlight reels all week. It wasn’t just a game-winner; it was a tone-setter.
What’s Next? A Pivotal Stretch Awaits
Green Bay hits the road next week to face a surging Denver Broncos team that’s been one of the league’s hottest over the past month. Meanwhile, the Bears will try to regroup at home against the struggling Cleveland Browns.
But the real circle-it-on-your-calendar moment? Packers-Bears, part two.
Under the lights at Soldier Field. That rematch could decide the division-or playoff seeding-or both.
It’s the kind of December football you dream about.
For now, though, the Packers get to breathe. They’ve taken back control of the NFC North.
They’ve proven they can win the tight ones. And they’ve reminded the rest of the conference that they’re not just chasing a playoff spot-they’re chasing the No. 1 seed.
The Rams currently hold that top spot after dispatching the Cardinals, and they’ll face the Detroit Lions next week in another game with major seeding implications. But the Packers are right there in the mix, and after Sunday’s high-stakes drama, they’ve shown they belong.
The road ahead is steep. But with four games left and momentum on their side, Green Bay has put the rest of the NFC on notice: this team’s not just surviving-they’re coming for the crown.