NFC North standings: How the Packers' victory against the Lions impacts the Bears and the race for first place

Mike Moraitis

NFC North standings: What Packers' win over Lions means for Bears, first place image

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

TL;DR

  • Green Bay Packers secured a crucial 31-24 road win against the Detroit Lions.
  • A late fourth-down conversion by the Packers sealed their victory over the Lions.
  • Packers await Bears-Eagles game results to determine NFC North first place.
  • Packers are currently sixth in the NFC playoff picture.

The Green Bay Packers notched a huge road victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday, 31-24.

The Packers managed to pull off a win in their Week 13 matchup after a nail-biting finish, thanks to a critical fourth-down conversion in the closing moments of the game.

Head coach Matt LaFleur made a bold decision that proved successful, stopping the Lions from having an opportunity to equalize the score and force overtime.

Now, the Packers will await the results of the Chicago Bears' game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.

Here's how the NFC North standings look before Friday.

NFC North standings

1. Chicago Bears (8-3)

2. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)

3. Detroit Lions (7-5)

4. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

The significance of the Packers' victory against the Lions

So, the battle for first place is very simple.

If the Bears win on Friday, they stay in first place in the division.

If the Bears lose, Green Bay will move into first place going into Week 14.

For right now, the Packers are sitting in the No. 6 spot in the NFC playoff picture.

The Lions remain third in their division at 7-5. Detroit would miss the playoffs if they began now.

The Vikings' prospects for winning the division are effectively over, and they've fallen to the No. 12 position in the NFC standings.

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Staff Writer