Packers at top of the North with one division game remaining

GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) have taken over the top slot in the NFC-North Division with their 28-21 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Dec. 7.
After heading into halftime with a 14-3 lead over the Bears, the Packers allowed them to claw their way back to a one possession deficit going into the final drive but a game-clinching interception by cornerback Keisean Nixon made the difference in the Packers 4-0 record against division teams.
“It was a fist fight for sure. They have a good team over there. We had a couple of long drives where we didn’t finish with points. They had long drives towards the end of the game. It was a heavy weight fight for sure,” said running back Josh Jacobs who had 1 touchdown on the night.
According to Jacobs, being back on top of the NFC-North standings is a great short-term accomplishment for them, but the Packers have their sights set even higher.
“It feels good, but ultimately that’s not our goal. It’s just a step to where we want to go and where we want to be. It definitely feels good — a lot of the guys are putting in a lot of work around here and it always feels to reap the benefits from it but it’s a long season and we’ve still got a lot to go,” said Jacobs.

After going 5-1 in NFC-North games last season, Jacobs said that taking down the Lions, Vikings and Bears in each matchup this season has been a testament to one of their main focuses in the offseason.
“That was the biggest thing we wanted in the offseason was those division games, going against some of those really tough teams in our division so that was our main focus — get back to winning the North and get back to playing our type of game of complementary football. It was a battle out there today but I think in all three phases we complimented each other and made the plays when it was tough,” said Jacobs.
Safety Evan Williams agreed that although the Packers have a lot to celebrate, there is still a grind ahead of them.
“It feels great for now, but there is a long road ahead before we get to call it ours. There’s three division games coming down the pipe — one against a good division team that we just faced. We understand that if we don’t show up for any one of those games, it can definitely flip flop our chances of being where we want to be. It feels great, but you have to take that feeling and hold onto it for a good 24 hours and then it’s back to work,” said Williams.
Williams also said that having the pressure on the defense on their final drive is something the team welcomes and that each player on the field for the Packers looks forward to the responsibility and accountability of having the game in their hands.
“We say that pressure is a privilege. To be in those scenarios where everything is on your back, that’s definitely a privilege for us and we look forward to those opportunities to show the type of defense that we are. All good defenses have to show up in the face of adversity. We welcome those challenges and those scenarios and I feel like we did a great job today of closing it out,” said Williams.
Though the victory came down to the final drive, Nixon said that he was proud to be the one to make the game-winning play.
“That’s what you want — your best players to make the big plays. With your back against the wall you’ve got to win and it’s 4th and 1, there’s no bigger play than that. It’s a hell of a win for us, that’s for sure,” said Nixon.
Wide Receiver Christian Watson was also an integral part of the Packers win putting up two touchdowns for his team, also going 4 for 4 on receptions totaling 89 yards.
“I’m just so thankful and blessed to be able to do what I do. I’m glad today panned out how it did, for sure,” said Watson.
“I think we’ve just got a lot of guys who can make those plays. I don’t think it matters who is out there. We’ve got a lot of dogs and guys who play with a lot of confidence.”