The NFC North race is coming down to the wire. And a high-stakes Packers-Bears game will take center stage on the NFL schedule in Week 16. The NFL announced Tuesday that the Dec. 20 matchup between the Bears and Packers in Chicago will kick off in prime time at 8:20 p.m. ET. That’s a Saturday night.
The Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles will play at 5 p.m. ET in the the opening act for the NFL’s first Saturday action of the season. Both games will air on Fox.
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The night game could ultimately determine who wins the NFC North. The Chicago Bears are one of the surprise stories of the NFL season and come out of Week 13 having won nine of their last 10 games to improve to 9-3 after an 0-2 start.
That’s good for the best record in the NFC and the inside track to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. This is from a team under first-year head coach Ben Johnson that was projected by many to finish well behind the Packers and Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
Caleb Williams and the Bears can carve their own path through the Packers to the NFC North crown.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The Bears entered Week 13 with a five-game win streak against teams that are currently not in position to make the playoffs. But a Friday win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles has forced doubters to take notice.
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The Packers, meanwhile, come out of Week 13 at 8-3-1, a half-game behind their bitter rivals. They’re winners of three straight games, including a Sunday victory over a now 7-5 Lions team that won the NFC North last season. Detroit’s still in the hunt for the division, but has ceded significant ground to its rivals.
The Packers and Bears will play first this upcoming Sunday in Green Bay. Then they’ll turn around and do it again two weeks later in Chicago.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are fading and the losers of two straight. They once held a stranglehold on the NFC East and still have a significant advantage at 8-4. But the two-game losing streak has cracked the door open for the 6-5-1 Dallas Cowboys to mount a challenge.
The 3-9 Commanders, meanwhile, are well out of playoff contention. But the opportunity to play spoiler and the potential return of quarterback Jayden Daniels could make for compelling football.
