The Packers are no longer in first place in the NFC North. After wrestling that position away from the Chicago Bears with a 28-21 victory in Week 14, they gave it right back a week later when the Packers lost to the streaking Denver Broncos. While the Packers were losing in the Mile High City, the Bears were beating the Cleveland Browns.
There are 3 weeks left in the season, and the Packers still can take care of the division and earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a series of losses by the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.
However, the Packers took a huge blow in their loss to the Broncos as edge rusher Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL and is finished for the season. He was the biggest difference maker for an excellent Green Bay defense and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and head coach Matt LaFleur are going to have to figure out how to best defend without him.
The pressure will clearly be on the Green Bay offense to produce consistently over the final 3 weeks of the season. In addition to quarterback Jordan Love, the Packers will need big-play production from running back Josh Jacobs as well as wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson during the final three games of the season.
The Packers face the Bears at Soldier Field in Week 16 before they host the Baltimore Ravens in their Lambeau Field finale in Week 17. The Packers will close the regular-season schedule with a road game against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings were expected to contend for the NFC North title this season, but they are in last place in the division after a brutal midseason stretch.
A Packers loss to the Bears would be brutal
The Packers have owned the Bears for more than 3 decades. Green Bay has had a sensational edge at quarterback through the decades with Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Love at quarterback, while the Bears have tried to battle with a collection of mediocre to poor signal callers.
They are hoping that Caleb Williams can defy that description, and he has shown significant improvement in his second NFL season. Williams excels at getting away from the pass rush and he also has the ability to pinpoint his passes on occasion. The Bears need Williams to show off his fastball with greater accuracy, and if he can do that against the Packers, it could cause huge problems in the rematch between the two rivals.
If the Bears are able to win the second meeting between the two teams in 3 weeks, the Packers will have a 2-game losing streak as they prepare for the Ravens.
Baltimore (7-7) has not had a great season, but the Ravens are still alive for the AFC North title. Head coach John Harbaugh excels at preparing his team for key games, and the Ravens have demonstrated through the years that they can play solid football on the road. If they can get off to a quick start at Green Bay, the Ravens may be able to steal a game from the favored Packers.
Loss in the season finale could be disastrous
The season finale against the Vikings is another rivalry game for the Packers. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy has played a key role in leading the Vikings to back to back win in the last two weeks over the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys, and the second-year quarterback is playing much better football than he did through the first 12 weeks of the season.
The Vikings have already been eliminated from playoff competition, and head coach Kevin O'Connell is trying to establish a legitimate offensive threat for the 2026 season. Minnesota needs McCarthy to finish the season by showing off his talent, determination and leadership, and knocking the Packers out of the playoffs or worsening their playoff position would be seen as an added bonus for the Vikings.
The Vikings have a slew of offensive weapons, including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. The Vikings would like to reverse the results of the Week 12 matchup when they suffered a 23-6 defeat to the Packers.
If Minnesota can pull off the victory, it could turn out to be a nightmarish game that ruins the Packers' season and prevents them from playing postseason football.
