On Saturday night in Week 16, the showdown between Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) and Chicago Bears (10-4) may be the most significant chapter in NFL oldest rivalry since these teams met Super Bowl spot on the line in the 2010 NFC Championship Game.
The winner will control their own destiny in the NFC North race and will be in second place in the conference entering Week 17, the penultimate week of the 2025 regular season. It's also only the third time — and second this season — that the Packers and Bears have faced both teams at least five games above .500.
Green Bay won the opener with a 28–21 victory at Lambeau Field in Week 14 behind a quarterback. Jordan Lovewho threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns while completing 17 of 25 passes. Rookie Bears Caleb Williams returned for 186 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted in the end zone by a Packers defender. Kaysin Nixon with 22 seconds left to decide the result.
With All-Pro Edge Cutter Micah Parsons sidelined this season with a torn ACL in Week 15, the burden now falls more on running back Love and the Pro Bowl. Josh Jacobswho rushed for 86 yards and a go-ahead touchdown on 20 carries in the first meeting.
Chicago's offense will depend even more on Williams' connection to DJome Moeure isespecially with wide receivers Rome Odunze (leg) and Luther Burden III (ankle) excluded.
Who will beat the Packers or Bears on Saturday night? Here's a full preview and prediction for the unofficial NFC North championship game.
LIVE updates: Follow all the action as the Bears take on the Packers on Saturday night.
Where to watch Packers vs. Bears
- Date: Saturday 20 December | Time: 8:20 pm ET
- Location: Soldier Field (Chicago)
- TV: Fox | Broadcast: Fubo (try it for free)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Chances: Bears -1.5, O/U 46.5 (via Bookmaker DraftKings)
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Packers vs. Bears: Key Matchups to Watch
1. Can Jordan Love replicate his dominance in the Bears' blitz?
Love torched Chicago in Week 14 for the Packers, completing 8 of 11 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, leading to a season-high 63.6 percent completion rate for those dropbacks, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Both of his touchdown throws are to Christian Watson — a deep kick for 23 yards and a catch-and-run for 41 yards — countered the blitz.
Repeating that success will be a highlight on Saturday night. Love is averaging a career-high 8.4 yards per attempt against blitzes in 2025, fifth-best in the NFL and a significant jump from his averages in 2023 (6.8) and 2024 (6.6).
2. How important are Caleb Williams' legs in the rematch?
Williams scrambled, ran or threw on the run on 12 of his 39 dropbacks in Week 14, the most tackles Green Bay's defense has faced in a game this season. In those games, Williams completed three of nine passes for 62 yards and three first downs, while adding 13 yards and two first downs on three carries.
Through 15 weeks, the Packers have done an excellent job of limiting the number of quarterbacks on the ground, allowing just 129 yards from scrimmage, tied with Carolina for the fewest yards in the NFL. They were much more vulnerable through the air, giving up 312 passing yards from scrimmage, third-most in the league.
Williams also won't fight under the same level of pressure. Parsons, who recorded seven pressures in Week 14 (the most of any defensive back against Chicago this season), is out for the year with a torn ACL. How Green Bay creates pressure, possibly with extended blitz packages involving linebacker Edgerrin Cooperand how Williams responds will largely determine the outcome of the Week 16 rematch.
3. Will Josh Jacobs continue to punish the Chicago defense despite his knee injury?
Green Bay needs Jacobs, even though he's battled a knee injury all season, to continue to be a reliable tackle, especially with Parsons sidelined for the year. Jacobs rushed for 86 yards and a game-winning touchdown on 20 carries in Week 14, and the Packers will need more of that production at Soldier Field in Round 2.
He turned a third-and-1 that appeared to be heading for a loss into a 21-yard gain for first-and-goal on Green Bay's top drive, a run that included the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Tom Brady exclaiming, “How did he do it?”
The run marked Jacobs' third goal as he turned his back on the defense and continued to work his feet to break through Chicago's front and give Green Bay a 28-21 lead, which became the final score.
Green Bay's ability to lean on a Pro Bowl running back against a 23rd-ranked Bears defense that allows 126.6 yards per game will be a deciding factor in the Week 16 contest.
Packers vs. Bears Prediction
In the first meeting, Love's ability to push the ball down the field under pressure was crucial. He's still much more reserved in a hurry than Williams, who is still in his second season as a pro.
This gap at the quarterback position should once again tip the game in Green Bay's favor, paving the way for the Packers' eighth rout of the Bears in the last 10 seasons.
Pick: Green Bay 31, Chicago 27 | Packers +1.5, Over 46.5
