The Packers’ NFC North hopes aren’t dead yet—here’s the narrow, high-stakes path forward after the Bears loss.QQ

The Packers still have a path to claim their first division title since the 2021 season.

For the vast majority of their Week 16 matchup with the Chicago Bears this past Saturday night, the Green Bay Packers seemed destined to retake possession of first place in the NFC North.

Despite playing their first full game without defensive leader Micah Parsons and then losing quarterback Jordan Love to a concussion midway through the second quarter, the Packers held a 16-6 lead with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.

But as the world watched in primetime, that 10-point lead dissipated quickly. First, the Bears got to within seven when Cairo Santos connected 43-yard field goal with 1:59 to play. And after Romeo Doubs couldn’t handle the ensuing onside kick, Chicago embarked on an eight-play, 53-yard drive that resulted in Caleb Williams hooking up with seldom-used Jahdae Walker for a 6-yard touchdown, with Santos’ extra point tying the game at 16-16.

And, of course, in overtime, after a Malik Willis fumble, Williams made arguably the best throw of this entire NFL season, hitting D.J. Moore for a 46-yard touchdown to give the Bears an improbable 22-16 victory.

With the loss, Green Bay dropped to 9-5-1 for the season. But even with Chicago improving to 11-4 and taking a two-game lead in the win column with just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Packers can still win the division for the first time since 2021. The only scenario in which that can happen, however, is for them to win their final two games and have the Bears lose their final two.

It’s a tall order, for sure, but it’s certainly not impossible, given the way the schedule shakes out.

The Packers will need to win out and hope the 49ers and Lions can beat the Bears

Now, there was some good news that came out of Week 16, as the Packers got some help from none other than Aaron Rodgers, who led his Pittsburgh Steelers to a wild 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions, who fell to 8-7.

As such, one Green Bay win or one Detroit loss over the next two weeks puts the Packers into the postseason for the third consecutive year. But back to winning the division.

Up first for Green Bay this Saturday is a date with the Baltimore Ravens, who are in the same exact position as the Packers, as they need to win out and have Rodgers and the Steelers lose out to win the AFC North. And that’s their only path to the playoffs, as a wild-card slot is no longer an option after falling to 7-8 on Sunday night with a 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots.

The Ravens also lost Lamar Jackson to a back injury in the second quarter, so Saturday night could very well be a battle of backups, with Malik Willis and Tyler Huntley taking the snaps if Love and Jackson can’t go.

The Packers will then close out the regular season against the rival Minnesota Vikings, who have now won three straight after taking a 16-13 win over the New York Giants on Sunday. Green Bay easily won the first matchup between the two clubs back in Week 12 by a score of 23-6.

So, the Packers certainly have a decent shot at taking care of their business.

As for the Bears, they’ll spend Week 17 squaring off with the San Francisco 49ers, who are eyeing both the NFC West crown and the No. 1 seed in the conference. So, that’s obviously no picnic.

The Packers and Niners, of course, despite not being in the same division, have a longstanding rivalry, as they’ve faced one another 10 times in the postseason, making it the most frequent playoff matchup in NFL history. An 11th could easily take place in January, but for now, Green Bay will need San Francisco to take care of Chicago.

From there, the Bears will close out the year against the aforementioned Lions, who trounced Chicago 52-21 in their first meeting. But that was all the way back in Week 2, and the Bears are obviously a much better team now.

So, that’s how the cookie crumbles. If the Packers take down the purple combo of the Ravens and Vikings and the Bears lose to the Niners and Lions, the NFC North belongs to Green Bay.