Here's 3 things to know about the Green Bay Packers
The oldest rivalry in the NFL in Week 17 with a playoff spot on the line and a potential MVP season at stake?
Yes, please.
What more could a football fan ask for? The Bears (8-7) need a win against the Packers (12-3) to reach the playoffs. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers needs another good game to potentially win his third MVP award and to secure a first-round bye for his team.
The two rivals kick off at noon from Soldier Field in Chicago. Here are three things to know about the Green Bay Packers.
Packers are playing to win
Green Bay is in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and the first-round bye that comes with it, but the Packers haven't locked it up yet. That's bad news for the Bears, who held onto some hope prior to Week 16 that the Packers might not have anything to play for in Week 17.
But with Seattle's win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks are back in the No. 1-seed discussion. Seattle could still earn the first-round bye if it wins and both New Orleans and Green Bay lose. So the expectation is the Packers are playing to win.
Green Bay has won seven of its last eight games, with the only loss coming in overtime against the Indianapolis Colts.
A return to the throne?
This game could be the final ascent for Rodgers in his hunt to win a third NFL MVP award. Rodgers became the favorite this week according to Las Vegas betting odds. The odds shifted dramatically just over the past few weeks. A three-interception game from Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Week 14 didn't help his chances. Rodgers is currently -250 to win the award, per VegasInsider.com. Mahomes had been the favorite since mid-November.
Over the previous five games, Rodgers has thrown 15 touchdowns with 1 interception and a 75% completion percentage. He leads the NFL with 44 touchdown passes and has thrown only 5 interceptions.
Packers' run 'D' stepping up
It might not look like it in the stat book, but the Packers slowed Tennessee running back Derrick Henry in Week 16. Henry still picked up his yards, totaling 98 yards on 23 carries. But the NFL's leading rusher didn't break free for a run longer than 10 yards. The Packers haven't allowed a single player to rush for 100 yards in a game since they saw the Bears and running back David Montgomery last month.
On Nov. 29, Montgomery used a 57-yard run early in the game to catapult him to a 103-yard effort on just 11 carries. Green Bay will certainly be keying in on Montgomery like it did against Henry and Tennessee.