The Chicago Bears have been one of the NFL's great stories of the current season, and as they get set to take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 14, they are in first place in the NFC North.

Not only have they turned things around from their last place finish a year ago, they are also currently holding down the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff structure. The Bears have a half-game lead over their ancient rivals, so their lead is anything but secure. Going into that meeting, the Bears have a number of injuries that could have a significant impact.

Rookie running back Kyle Monangai is on that list with an ankle injury. He appears to be improving because he went from not practicing at all on Wednesday to being a limited participant in Thursday's practice session. While Monangai was able to take part in head coach Ben Johnson's practice session, second-year wideout Rome Odunze (foot) was unable to participate. Both Monangai and Odunze are significant contributors to the Bears offense, and it's clear that Johnson would like to have both of them in the lineup for this vital game.

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Bears trying to overcome dreadful history against the Packers

A year ago, the Bears were victorious in their final game of the season when they won in what was an otherwise meaningless game against the Packers. That game had no impact on the standings for either team, but it did end Green Bay's 11-game winning streak in the series. The Packers have dominated against Chicago since the 1990s. Green Bay has had the advantage with Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love at quarterback, while the Bears have struggled at the position.

They are hoping that second-year quarterback Caleb Williams can turn the situation around, and he has had a solid season with a significant amount of improvement from his performance as a rookie last year.