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Bears Playoff Picture: Chicago jumps to the top of the standings with a defining stretch coming up to determine the NFC North
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Bears Playoff Picture: Chicago jumps to the top of the standings with a defining stretch coming up to determine the NFC North

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Kole Noble  |  Last updated Nov 30, 2025 6:40 PM ET

The Chicago Bearssent a statement to the rest of the NFC on Black Friday in a dominating win over the defending Super Bowl champions on the road. The Bears proved they are a legit force to be reckoned with in the conference and the mindset isn't changing.

"I think every single game that we play is to make a statement," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said after the game on Friday. "That's just another game for us. Focus on being 1-0 each week. We keep doing that. We keep focusing on what's inside, the noise inside the building. Honestly, the statements and all of that, it's more of the outside noise. It's more of the kind of stuff for y'all to talk about, the analysts and whoever to talk about."

The stuff to talk about on the outside is centered around the playoffs with six games remaining in the regular season. And as good as things look right now for Chicago, there's no margin for error.

Current NFC Standings

  1. Chicago Bears (9-3)
  2. Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
  3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)

With the Carolina Panthers' win over the Los Angeles Rams in the early window on Sunday, the Bears now have sole possession of the No. 1 seed in the NFC entering Week 14. Something many might have considered a pipe dream in 2025 is now a reality. But, the team needs to stay focused on the task at hand because the remaining schedule is still a daunting one.

NFC North race is starting to heat up after Thanksgiving weekend, could be decided by two games

When the 2025 schedule was released, we knew the two matchups against the Green Bay Packers in a 13-day span for Week 14 and Week 16 was going to be a critical stretch of the season. Little did we know how impactful those two dates would actually turn out to be.

The Bears currently lead the NFC North heading into Week 14 but the Packers, sitting at 8-3-1, are right on their heels and these two upcoming matchups between the two starting on Sunday could very well decide the division and which team can start the playoffs at home.

To add even more intrigue to this matchup, the NFL flexed the Week 14 game at Lambeau Field, putting more eyes on the game and now people are bringing up Johnson's boastful words from his first day in Chicago when talking about the division and specifically Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.

“I’ve got tremendous amount of respect for the coaches and players in this [division], having competed against them for the last six years," Johnson said the day he was hired by the Bears. "Dan Campbell and Kevin O’Connell, you’re talking about two guys who are up for Coach of the Year awards (last season). And to be quite frank with ya, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”

Johnson finally gets his opportunity and a chance to create even more separation in the NFC and the division when these two teams face off next Sunday. In the meantime, the Bears got some tremendous news on Sunday without even playing a game.

Chicago Bears Remaining 2025 Schedule

This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Nov 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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