It is simple, ladies and gentlemen: win, and the Green Bay Packers (8-8) will clinch a playoff berth after starting the season with a 3-6 record. Standing in their way is their bitter rival, the Chicago Bears (7-9), who were eliminated from playoff contention last week. Head coach Matt LaFleur’s squad will attempt to right the wrong from last year when Green Bay laid an egg at home against the Detroit Lions in Week 18 on Sunday Night Football in a win-and-they’re-in contest. LaFleur is 9-0 against the Bears since taking over at the helm in 2019, per the Dope Sheet. 

Kickoff is slated for 3:25 P.M. CST and will be broadcast on CBS. The network will have its A-squad in the booth for the 208th meeting between the Packers and Bears as Jim Nantz will serve as the play-by-play announcer and Tony Romo will serve as the color analyst. Given the high stakes, most of the country will have the fortune of tuning into the national broadcast. The Green Bay-Chicago game is in red below. You can check out the full schedule here.

While the Bears struggled mightily to start the season and were on pace to own two of the top selections in the 2024 NFL Draft (they own the Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick), the team has turned it on as of late, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. They are 5-2 over their last seven contests, which includes blown leads in the fourth quarter against the Lions in Week 11 and against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. During that stretch, Chicago allowed an average of 17.1 points per game and generated 16 interceptions. It has also been the best defense in the NFL since Week 11 in terms of Expected Points Added (EPA) per play. 

Make sure to check out CHTV for coverage in the days leading up to the Week 18 battle on the gridiron as the Packers look to make the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.