The fight for the top of the NFC North is going to come down to the wire.
On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears played their first matchup of the season, with the winner taking control of first place in the division. In the end, it was the Packers who won the hard-fought battle, but these two teams will meet again in two weeks.
That came on the heels of the Detroit Lions’ win Thursday night, keeping them alive in the playoff race. However, Detroit is just 1-3 in division games this year, putting the Lions a step behind their division rivals in the division.
Here’s how the NFC standings look after Week 14.
MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture after Week 14 results
NFC North standings
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1. | Green Bay Packers | 9-3-1 |
| 2. | Chicago Bears | 9-4 |
| 3. | Detroit Lions | 8-5 |
| 4. | Minnesota Vikings | 5-8 |
The Packers jump the Bears in the standings, taking first place in the NFC North moving forward. Green Bay’s tie gives the team a slight advantage. Meanwhile, the Bears drop to second place, but remain firmly in the wild-card mix.
The Lions will stay put in third place, but Sunday’s results mean they are one game closer to second place in the standings. Finally, the Minnesota Vikings are all but sure to finish in last place a year after finishing with a 14-3 record.
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Packers schedule 2025
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV Channel |
| 12/14 | @ Broncos | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 12/20 | @ Bears | 8:20 p.m. | Fox |
| TBD | vs. Ravens | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | @ Vikings | TBD | TBD |
Over the last month of the regular season, the Packers face a mixed bag of opponents. NExt week they travel to play the Denver Broncos in a tough road game, and they also still have to fave the Bears in Chicago.
However, Green Bay still gets to play a depleted Baltimore Ravens team and the last-place Vikings, providing a relatively soft landing.
MORE: How Ravens loss to Steelers dampers playoff chances
Bears schedule 2025
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV Channel |
| 12/14 | vs. Browns | 1:00 p.m. | Fox |
| 12/20 | vs. Packers | 8:20 p.m. | Fox |
| 12/28 | @ 49ers | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| TBD | vs. Lions | TBD | TBD |
After hosting the three-win Cleveland Browns next week, the Bears close the season with three straight grueling games. Chicago will host the Packers in two weeks, then travel to play the San Francisco 49ers in a key wild-card battle.
If the Bears’ playoff status comes down to the final game, Chicago’s game against the Lions could decide playoff positioning. Detroit already beat the Bears earlier this season, giving the Lions the upper hand.
Lions schedule 2025
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV Channel |
| 12/14 | @ Rams | 4:25 p.m. | Fox |
| 12/21 | vs. Steelers | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 12/25 | @ Vikings | 4:30 p.m. | Netflix |
| TBD | @ Bears | TBD | TBD |
The Lions have an uphill battle to make the playoffs this season. Detroit has three of its last four games on the road, and three of its last four games against teams currently in playoff positioning, all while the Lions sit outside of the playoffs themselves.
Detroit already lost to the Packers twice this year, but the team could beat the Bears twice if they win the final game of the season. That would give the Lions the tiebreak over Chicago.
