NFL News: Chicago Bears win NFC North for first time since 2018 after Green Bay Packers lose to Baltimore Ravens

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North division for the first time since 2018 after the Green Bay Packers lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.

This is a last minute update. The following is taken from previous reports.

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The Ravens face a must-win situation Saturday and will likely miss Jackson as they visit the playoff-bound Packers, who miss Love

That’s what’s happening to the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore will miss the playoffs for only the second time in the last eight years unless it wins its final two road games and the Pittsburgh Steelers lose Sunday at Cleveland.

The Ravens (7-8) will likely play the first of those games Saturday night at Green Bay (9-5-1) without two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was listed as questionable because of a back injury.

“There’s no added pressure,” Ravens running back Derrick Henry said. “We’ve been playing football our whole lives. Let’s go win.”

Baltimore hardly expected to be in this position after going a combined 25-9 and winning the AFC North the past two seasons. If the Ravens win Saturday and the Steelers lose Sunday, their Jan. 4 game in Pittsburgh would determine the division champion.

Tyler Huntley will likely start at quarterback for Baltimore after Jackson was injured in the second quarter of a 28-24 loss to New England last week.

The Ravens have a chance in that they face a Green Bay team that is already assured of a playoff spot and won’t have a starting quarterback.

Green Bay ruled out Jordan Love after a concussion sidelined him in the second quarter of a 22-16 overtime loss at Chicago. Substitute Malik Willis injured his shoulder later in that match, leaving him questionable for this match.

“This is the situation, so prepare as best you can and try to come up with a good plan for whoever is out there and going to play,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.

Green Bay clinched a playoff spot when the Detroit Lions lost 23-10 at Minnesota on Thursday, but the Packers still have incentive to improve their ranking. The Packers would win the NFC North title if they win their final two games and Chicago loses their final two games.

Both teams have struggled to finish lately.

Baltimore blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead against the Patriots. Green Bay led 23-14 in the third quarter of a 34-26 loss at Denver and then squandered a 10-point advantage in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter at Chicago.

Chicago’s collapse caused Green Bay to lose control of its destiny in the NFC North race.

“I think the mood is still high,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. “The energy is still high. Obviously we didn’t want to lose the game, but things happen. So you have to be able to put that aside. You can’t dwell on it. We still have the opportunity to do what we want to do, so I think that’s really the most important thing.”

The Ravens also still have an opportunity to achieve their goals, but they will need help.

“Like you said, it’s a game you have to win,” Huntley said. “We had a lot of games where the defense played well, and then we had games where the offense played well (or) the special teams played well. Well, we just want everyone to play well the whole game.”

It’s clear that if Baltimore misses the playoffs, many fans will demand recriminations.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked about his own job security Monday, then defended his relationship with star quarterback Lamar Jackson on Wednesday. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken is once again tackling Henry’s usage after the veteran running back didn’t touch the ball on the Ravens’ last two drives against the Patriots.

Green Bay’s injuries aren’t limited to the quarterback position.

The Packers lost their only Pro Bowl selection – power forward Micah Parsons – to a torn ACL on Dec. 14. Tight end Tucker Kraft and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt also suffered season-ending injuries.

Notable players questionable for Saturday’s game include offensive tackle Zach Tom (back/knee), center Sean Rhyan (knee/illness), wide receiver Christian Watson (shoulder/illness), guard Aaron Banks (neck/illness) and safety Evan Williams (knee).

The Ravens have lost 12 fumbles this season, which is tied for first in the NFL. Henry’s fumble last weekend cost Baltimore some momentum, then a fumble by wide receiver Zay Flowers ended the team’s final drive.

“The thing about Zay is he works really hard in practice and he focuses on those things,” Harbaugh said. “And yet, man, the ball is being thrown from a blind spot. So we have to continue to work on catching it, putting it away, getting up the field and protecting the ball when you’re in traffic like that.”

Green Bay has penetrated inside the opponent’s 20-yard line nine times in its two games, but the Packers only have one touchdown to show for it. The Packers did not reach the end zone on any of their five red zone possessions against Chicago.

The Packers had ranked second in red zone touchdown efficiency in the league before these last two games.

The Packers have not recorded a sack in their last two games. That includes a game without Parsons and another game in which he tore his ACL in the third quarter.

AP Sports Writer Noah Trister contributed to this report.

Bears, 49ers bring top players into key NFC matchup

The best players in the NFL always take the time to observe some of the other offenses in the league in order to steal ideas or see new wrinkles that can help their own team.

San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan has long been considered one of the best players in the NFL, with Chicago’s Ben Johnson quickly moving up that list, making Sunday night’s key NFC showdown between the Bears (11-4) and 49ers (11-4) a game you won’t want to miss.

“I think Shanahan is one of the best, if not the best in the business as far as following games at a high level for as long as he has,” Johnson said. “He’s probably the first one to really marry the running game and the passing game, and as you see some of these other teams doing it now, he was kind of the favorite on all of that. You always like to turn on that San Francisco tape every week, whether you’re playing them or not, just to watch some of the things they do.”

The 49ers have gone from a run-first team early in his tenure to a team that has relied more on passing since the emergence of Brock Purdy. That was evident during a five-game winning streak that included Purdy’s five-touchdown performance last week against Indianapolis.

The Bears (11-4) completed one of the best turnarounds in the NFL this season in Johnson’s first year as coach. He helped build a strong offensive line that fueled one of the NFL’s best running attacks and helped Caleb Williams develop.

“I have so much respect for Ben just in terms of the way they run the ball,” said Shanahan, who faced Johnson the past two seasons when he was offensive coordinator in Detroit. “It starts with the run, always with Ben and everything, he is a very balanced player and makes teams defend everything.”

The two offenses are a big reason why the Bears and 49ers are still in the running for division titles and the top seed in the NFC playoffs heading into Week 17.

Chicago can win the NFC North for the first time since 2018 with one more Green Bay win or loss and can clinch first place with two wins and one Seattle loss.

San Francisco would win the NFC West and claim first place by beating the Bears that weekend, followed by a home win over Seattle in the final. That would give the 49ers home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs and a chance to win the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 without having to leave home again.

Williams showed a knack for late-game magic in his sophomore season.

He led Chicago to six victories this season in games where the team trailed in the final two minutes of regulation, setting a record for most late-game comebacks in NFL history. Williams has a passer rating of 113.2 when the game is tied or trailing by eight points or less in the fourth quarter or overtime, and he has led the team in scoring on 10 of 15 drives in that situation, including two TD drives in last week’s comeback win over Green Bay.

“The mentality is changing,” Williams said. “A play happens and the spark turns to fire and we burst into flames in that moment.”

The Niners’ offense has reached such a high level that the team hasn’t needed to punt once in the last two games. San Francisco is just the sixth team to go back-to-back regular season or playoff games without punting. The 49ers have had 22 consecutive possessions since Thomas Morstead’s final punt in the fourth quarter on Nov. 30 in Cleveland.

“It’s pretty rare,” running back Christian McCaffrey said. “So it’s cool to be a part of it and I hope we do it again.”

San Francisco has struggled to generate a pass rush since Nick Bosa suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3, with the team recording a league-low 18 sacks this season. But two rookie defensive tackles stepped up last week against Indianapolis, with Alfred Collins and CJ West each getting their first career sack.

It was the first time the Niners had sacks from two rookies in the same game since 2016.

“I think they’re only going to get better, but it’s good to see them progress, especially as rookies here in the second half of the year,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said.

ABC7 Chicago contributed to this report.