A massive NFC North clash ignites as the Chicago Bears try to hold on to the NFC's top seed and the Green Bay Packers aim to reclaim the divisional crown.
This is a massive game with major implications not just in the NFC North, but in the NFC as a whole. As it stands, the 8-3-1 Green Bay Packers are looking up at the 9-3 Chicago Bears in the NFC North standings.
Not only that, but everyone in the NFC is looking up at the Bears, who currently hold the NFC's No. 1 seed after beating the Philadelphia Eagles this past weekend.
Are the Bears for real? At times this season you could have made an argument that they weren't, but going on the road and beating the defending Super Bowl champs (no matter the implosion that's happening in Philly) is hard to ignore.
"It shows that they're a serious team," safety Xavier McKinney recently said of Chicago's win over Philadelphia, according to Mike Spofford. "It shows that they're not messing around. They're trying to do exactly what we're trying to do."
According to the standings, Chicago is the better team. The kicker here is that the Packers haven't had a chance to play the Bears yet, so they do control their own destiny.
Green Bay is coming off a massive Thanksgiving Day win over the Detroit Lions that saw them sweep the back-to-back NFC North champs while improving their NFC North record to 3-0.
If the Pack can beat Chicago at Lambeau in Week 14, it will go a long way towards helping Green Bay reclaim the title of "Kings of the North". They'll play the Bears again in two weeks with a game against a really good Denver Broncos team sandwiched in between, but for now, the Packers can't look ahead.
They need to win this game in order to be taken seriously as a true Super Bowl contender. Chicago can say the same thing, though, so there's a ton on the line in this one.
Here's everything you need to know leading up to this massive matchup.
Game Time:
3:25 PM Lambeau Time
TV Channel:
FOX
Betting Odds:
Packers - 7 per DRAFTKINGS O/U 44.5
Key Matchup: Bears' rushing attack vs. Packers' rushing defense
The Bears are rushing for 153.8 yards per game, which is the second-best mark in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Packers' defense is giving up just 98.3 yards per game on the ground, which is tied for seventh-best in the NFL.
Yes, the Packers will absolutely be strained because of the loss of big-time defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt, but they do also have the pieces to shut this rushing attack down.
One of these things will have to give.
Key Quote: Micah Parsons' strong feelings on the Bears
“Rivalries are for the people, it’s for the fans,” he told Packers reporters. “For me, it’s just going out there and just dominating. I just don’t like them because I just see like the disrespect … I play for respect. You know how to earn someone’s respect is beating the [expletive] out of them.”
Prediction:
Packers 24, Bears 13