Denver backup QB and ex-Patriot Jarrett Stidham is all that’s keeping New England from Super Bowl

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NEW ENGLAND (16-3) at DENVER (15-3)

Day/Time/TV: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. CST, CBS/Paramount+
Series record: Broncos lead 31-24.
Last meeting: Patriots won 26-23 in Denver on Dec. 24, 2023.
Last week: Patriots beat Texans 28-16; Broncos beat Bills 33-30 in overtime.
Patriots offense: overall (3), rush (6), pass (4), scoring (2).
Patriots defense: overall (8), rush (6), pass (9), scoring (4).
Broncos offense: overall (10), rush (16), pass (11), scoring (14).
Broncos defense: overall (2), rush (2), pass (7), scoring (3).
Turnover differential: Patriots plus-3; Broncos plus-1.

The NFL’s conference championship games feature both No. 1 seeds, two division rivals and a backup quarterback making his first start of the season. The Denver Broncos (15-3) host the New England Patriots (16-3) in the AFC title game on Sunday. It was Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady the previous time they met in the playoffs 10 years ago. Now, it’s backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham for the Broncos against second-year standout Drake Maye.

All that stands between the New England Patriots and their first trip to the Super Bowl since Tom Brady left is a backup quarterback that they already know pretty well. The team that Brady led to six NFL titles — and 13 conference title games — will play Denver (15-3) on Sunday for the AFC championship against one of the QBs who filled in as his successor. 

Jarrett Stidham, who was selected by New England (16-3) in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, will make his first start since 2023 as a sub for Bo Nix, who broke his ankle near the end of the Broncos’ playoff victory over Buffalo on Saturday. Stidham spent two years in New England as a backup. When New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was coaching in Las Vegas, he gave Stidham a try there; coach Mike Vrabel said he also looked into Stidham when he was in Tennessee and again last summer, before the veteran backup re-signed with the Broncos. “I guess it was kind of ironic,” Vrabel said on Monday, praising Stidham’s accuracy, athleticism and decision-making. “He’s really decisive in the games that we went back and watched.”

The Patriots beat Houston 28-16 on Sunday to return to the AFC championship game for the first time since winning their sixth Super Bowl in the 2018 season, Brady’s second-to-last year in New England. Drake Maye completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns; he also had an interception on an end-of-half desperation pass and fumbled four times, turning it over twice, in a wintry mix that also contributed to the four interceptions thrown by Texans QB C.J. Stroud.

Patriots player to watch

Drake Maye. The MVP finalist had three touchdown passes in the Patriots’ divisional round win over Houston. It marked the 13th time in team history that a quarterback had thrown at least three TD passes in a playoff game. It was also the most since Tom Brady had three in Super Bowl 52 against Philadelphia.

Broncos player to watch

Jarrett Stidham. Bo Nix’s backup hasn’t thrown a pass in two seasons and the only snap he played this season came on a kneel-down at the end of a blowout over the Dallas Cowboys. Stidham has appeared in 20 games with four starts in his six-year NFL career and the Patriots tried to sign him last spring before he re-signed with Denver for $12 million over two years.

Key matchup

Maye versus Denver’s defense. The Broncos led the league with a franchise-record 68 sacks this season and sacked Josh Allen three times. They also forced Allen to turn the ball over four times after he had gone six straight playoff games without a turnover. Allen had two fumbles and two interceptions, including one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, thrown two interceptions and fumbled six times, losing three of them.

Key injuries

Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has been ruled out. CB Carlton Davis (concussion protocol) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both questionable. ... WR Mack Hollins, who has been on injured reserve since Dec. 27 with an abdomen injury, was activated on Saturday. He played in the first 15 games of the season prior to going on IR, catching 46 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns.

Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who returned to practice this week for the first time since foot surgery in mid-November, was ruled out. ... WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both participated in practice this week. C Luke Wattenberg appears ready to return from injured reserve. He went on IR with a shoulder injury last month.

Series notes

The Broncos have a 4-1 edge in the playoff matchups between the teams, winning all four games in Denver. The two most recent meetings were in the AFC championship games during the 2013 and 2015 seasons, and were both won by the Broncos. Denver’s 20-18 win in the 2015 AFC title game on Jan. 24, 2016, was the final meeting between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Stats and stuff

This will be the Patriots’ 13th appearance in the AFC title game in the past 25 seasons… The Patriots (Mike Vrabel) and San Francisco 49ers (George Seifert 1989, won the Super Bowl) are the only teams in the Super Bowl era to go undefeated on the road with a new head coach… Vrabel is attempting to become the eighth coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his first season with a team… Maye has completed 3 of 10 deep passes (20 or more yards) through his first two playoff games. The Broncos didn’t allow Buffalo’s Josh Allen a completion and intercepted him twice on nine deep pass attempts in the divisional round… With a win, Maye would become the first quarterback to win three playoff games against top-five defenses in the same postseason: the Chargers entered the playoffs ranked fifth, the Texans ranked first, and the Broncos ranked second… Maye has been strip-sacked 11 times this season, including the playoffs. The Patriots have recovered six of Maye’s fumbles on sacks, with three recoveries by LT Will Campbell. The only other quarterbacks strip-sacked 10 or more times since 2020 are Matt Ryan (11 in 2022), Derek Carr (10 in 2021) and Kirk Cousins (10 in 2021)… Maye is one of three quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with five or more turnovers and 10 or more sacks. He joins Russell Wilson (2014, lost in the Super Bowl) and Roger Staubach (1973, lost in the NFC championship game)… WR Stefon Diggs has played in 16 postseason games and has 75 receptions for 965 yards and five touchdowns. He needs 35 yards to become the 18th NFL player to reach 1,000, and the third Patriots player. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are the only Patriots players to eclipse the mark… Diggs has played in the most postseason games among all Patriots players with 16. CB Carlton Davis III is second with 11 postseason games… LB K’Lavon Chaisson has three sacks this postseason. With another he’ll joint Willie McGinest (five in 2003 and 4½ in 2005) and Garin Veris (four in 1985) as the only Patriots with at least four in a single postseason… The Broncos are 18-5 all time in home playoff games since their first one in 1977 during the “Orange Crush” era… This is Denver’s 11th appearance in the AFC championship game… Stidham is 1-3 in his four NFL starts with his only victory coming against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 31, 2023… K Wil Lutz made all four of his field-goal attempts and all three of his extra points against Buffalo last week. His four field goals are one shy of the franchise playoff record of five set by Brandon McManus in the playoffs following the 2015 season… Last week OLB Nik Bonitto became the third player in Broncos history to force two fumbles in a playoff game. By stripping the ball from Josh Allen twice, Bonitto joined Von Miller (against Carolina in Super Bowl 50) and Tom Jackson (against Dallas in Super Bowl 12)… ILB Alex Singleton’s 14 tackles last week, including 11 solo, were the most by a Denver defender in a playoff game this century… DE Malcolm Roach is coming off a big game against Buffalo. He had 1½ sacks and recovered a fumble.

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The Seahawks and Rams meet for the third time, this time with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line

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January 24, 2026

LOS ANGELES RAMS (14-5) at SEATTLE (15-3)

Day/Time/TV: Sunday, 5:30 p.m. CST, FOX.
Series record: Seahawks lead 29-28
Last meeting: Seattle beat the Rams 38-37 in overtime on Dec. 18.
Last week: The Rams beat Chicago 20-17 in overtime in the divisional round on Jan. 18. The Seahawks beat the 49ers 41-6 in the divisional round on Jan. 17.
Rams offense: overall (1), rush (7), pass (1), scoring (1).
Rams defense: overall (17), rush (12), pass (19), scoring (10).
Seahawks offense: overall (T-7), rush (T-10), pass (8), scoring (5).
Seahawks defense: overall (6), rush (3), pass (10), scoring (1).
Turnover differential: Rams plus-15; Seahawks minus-4.

The Rams are seeking their third straight road win after eliminating Carolina in the wild-card round and beating Chicago 20-17 in overtime last week. Stafford and coach Sean McVay led them to a Super Bowl title four years ago and this will be the team’s 12th NFC championship game. The No. 1 seed Seahawks routed the 49ers 41-6 to advance to their fifth conference title game and first in 11 years. Darnold has struggled against the Rams. Los Angeles sacked Darnold nine times and intercepted him once in a 27-9 wild-card victory last season when he was with Minnesota. In Week 11, Darnold threw four picks in a 21-19 loss to the Rams. He nearly rallied the Seahawks to victory but Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal at the end. On Dec. 18, Darnold tossed two interceptions and was sacked four times as Seattle fell behind Los Angeles by 16 points in the fourth quarter. But the Seahawks stormed back to tie it up, including a wacky 2-point conversion, and won 38-37 in overtime when Darnold connected with Eric Saubert on another 2-pointer. The Rams had allowed 30 points per game over a five-game stretch before holding Caleb Williams and the Bears to 17. With Stafford, All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua and star wideout Davante Adams, the Rams led the league in yards and scoring at 30.5 points per game. The Seahawks were third in scoring (28.4) and their defense featuring defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Devon Witherspoon gave up the fewest points (17.2 per game).

Rams player to watch

RG Kevin Dotson returned after missing three games because of an ankle injury, and Los Angeles’ top offensive lineman didn’t miss a beat, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ best run-blocking interior lineman during the divisional round. The Rams finished with 111 yards rushing, and coach Sean McVay regretted going away from his successful ground game. Dotson was hurt on the first drive of the wild 38-37 overtime loss to the Seahawks, and the drop-off from Dotson to backup Justin Dedich was a key factor in swinging the NFC West and top seed in the conference to Seattle.

Seahawks player to watch

RB Kenneth Walker III. Not only did Walker tie Shaun Alexander’s record for TD runs in a playoff game with three in last week’s victory, but he also rushed for a season-high 116 yards. Because Zach Charbonnet is out for the remainder of the playoffs with a knee injury, Seattle will turn almost exclusively to Walker to churn out yards on the ground.

Key matchup

WR Cooper Kupp against the Rams secondary. Kupp had his most receiving yards in a game since Nov. 9 in the Seahawks’ 41-6 win over the 49ers in the divisional round. In two games against the Rams, his former team, Kupp has six catches for 62 yards this season.

Key injuries

Rams: CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. has been limited because of a shoulder injury but is expected to play Sunday. Los Angeles’ secondary is already short-handed after Ahkello Witherspoon sustained a season-ending shoulder blade injury against Carolina in the wild-card round… OLB Byron Young was held out of practice this week as a precaution because of knee soreness… S Quentin Lake missed practice Wednesday because of illness.

Seahawks: QB Sam Darnold (oblique) was limited in practice on Wednesday, after injuring it last week. TE Elijah Arroyo (knee) and LB Chazz Surratt (ankle) were both full participants after being ruled out for last week’s game. T Charles Cross (foot) did not practice on Wednesday, nor did fellow tackles Josh Jones (knee, ankle) nor Amari Kight. RB George Holani (hamstring) was a full participant on Wednesday. LB Uchenna Nwosu (hamstring) was a limited practice participant, as was FB Robbie Ouzts (neck).

Series notes

The Rams have won four of the past six games played in Seattle, but fell in an overtime thriller last month… Each of the past five games between the Rams and Seahawks have been decided by one score, including Seattle’s 38-37 overtime win on Dec. 18… The Seahawks are 17-8 against the Rams in Seattle. These franchises seldom played until realignment in 2002, when the Seahawks moved from the AFC West to the NFC West… The Rams are 2-0 against the Seahawks in the playoffs, with both victories coming in Seattle following the 2004 and 2020 seasons… Coach Sean McVay led Los Angeles to a 30-20 win in an NFC wild-card playoff game on Jan. 9, 2021, but there were no fans at Lumen Field because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stats and stuff

Rams: They’re in the conference championship game for the 12th time after going 5-6 record in their previous trips. Sean McVay is 2-0 in such games, guiding Los Angeles over the New Orleans Saints after the 2018 season and the San Francisco 49ers after the 2021 season… This is the first time McVay is facing a repeat opponent in the playoffs, having seen 15 different opponents in his first 15 postseason games… The Rams are 3-0 against NFC West opposition in the playoffs under McVay, knocking off the Seahawks after the 2020 season and the Arizona Cardinals and 49ers en route to their Super Bowl title following the 2021 season… QB Matthew Stafford failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in nine playoff games with the Rams and the second time in his postseason career overall when he failed to find the end zone last week against the Bears… RB Kyren Williams had two rushing touchdowns in Chicago, his first playoff scoring runs in five career playoff games… CB Cobie Durant can become the first Rams defender to intercept a pass in three straight playoff games. He picked off Bears QB Caleb Williams twice, giving him three interceptions this postseason… The Rams are converting 27.6% of third downs in the playoffs, the lowest mark among the four remaining teams. They were 5 for 16 (31.3%) against Chicago.

Seahawks: Seattle earned its first division title since 2020, and 12th in franchise history… The Seahawks have 14 regular-season wins for the first time in franchise history. The Seahawks’ previous franchise record for wins in a season was 13, which happened in the 2013 and 2005 seasons. Seattle won the Super Bowl after the 2013 season. Seattle went 10-7 last season and hasn’t had a losing season since 2021 under Pete Carroll… The Seahawks had five players selected to the 2025 All-Pro team, matching a franchise record, with WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba earning first-team honors and DT Leonard Williams, CB Devon Witherspoon, LB Ernest Jones IV, and P Michael Dickson making the second team… Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL in receiving yards this season, has also had 100 or more catches in consecutive seasons. He had 119 catches in the 2025 season… Seahawks TE A.J. Barner has set single-season career highs in receptions (52), yards (519) and touchdowns (six)… Ernest Jones IV had five interceptions this season for Seattle, tied for second most in the NFL. Jones also had one in Seattle’s divisional round win over the 49ers… Kenneth Walker III tied Shaun Alexander’s record for TD runs in a playoff game with three in last week’s victory.

2025 NFC Wildcard — Packers at Bears

For Bears and Packers, wild-card game is a rare playoff matchup in NFL’s longest-running rivalry

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Green Bay (9-7-1) at Chicago (11-6)

DAY/TIME/TV: Saturday, 7 p.m. CST, Amazon Prime Video.

Series record: Packers lead 109-97-6.

Last meeting: Bears beat Packers 22-16 in OT at Chicago on Dec. 20

Last week: Packers lost at Minnesota 16-3; Bears lost to Detroit 19-16.

Packers offense: overall (15), rush (15), pass (17), scoring (16)

Packers defense: overall (12), rush (18), pass (11), scoring (11)

Bears offense: overall (6), rush (3), pass (10), scoring (9)

Bears defense: overall (29), rush (27), pass (22), scoring (23)

Turnover differential: Packers plus-1; Bears plus-22.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have played each other more than any other two teams in the NFL. Playoff games, however, are a rarity. The Bears and Packers will add another chapter to the league’s longest rivalry when they meet in a wild-card game at Soldier Field on Saturday night. It’ll be just the third time the franchises of Halas and Lombardi have faced off in the postseason, and the significance wasn’t lost on the participants. “It’s a crazy rivalry, like, and the fact that we’re playing them in the playoffs too, it just magnifies it another notch, almost,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. “And it makes it that much more important.” Bears tight end Cole Kmet grew up in the Chicago area and developed a strong rooting interest for any Green Bay opponent. He now has a personal tie to the Packers: His sister is dating defensive tackle Lukas Van Ness. “It means a lot,” Kmet said. “To be able to be at home against Green Bay, it’s going to be a special atmosphere, and it almost feels like we’ve played these guys like five or six times here in the past month. But I think that’ll just make the atmosphere in the battle that much more epic.”

The Bears (11-6) are hosting a playoff game for the first time since the 2018 season, when Cody Parkey’s double-doink missed field goal sealed a wild-card loss to Philadelphia. They’ve lost three straight playoff games since the 2010 team beat Seattle in the divisional round at Soldier Field, and the way that season ended remains a bitter memory for their fans. The Bears lost at home in the NFC championship game to Aaron Rodgers and the hated Packers. Green Bay (9-7-1) has dominated the rivalry in recent decades, but during the past two seasons, it’s been even. Last year, both games were decided on field-goal attempts by Chicago’s Cairo Santos — one was blocked and the other was successful. Both meetings this season were close, with Green Bay winning at Lambeau Field in Week 14 and Chicago prevailing in overtime two weeks later.

Johnson led turnaround for Bears

With coach Ben Johnson setting the tone in his first season and quarterback Caleb Williams making strides in his second year, the Bears went from finishing last in the NFC North to winning the division for the first time since 2018. They made the playoffs for the first time in five years and secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC, but they lost their last two games of the regular season — 42-38 at San Francisco and 19-16 to Detroit on a last-second field goal.

Packers’ defense struggles without Parsons

The Packers have lost four straight. With the No. 7 seed in the NFC locked up, they rested their top players last week at Minnesota. Limping into the postseason was not what the Packers envisioned when they season began. A trade with Dallas for star pass rusher Micah Parsons sent expectations soaring. The two-time All-Pro suffered a season-ending knee injury in a Week 15 loss at Denver, and the defense has struggled without him. Green Bay blew second-half leads against the Broncos and at Chicago the following week, and then gave up 307 yards rushing while falling 41-24 at home to Baltimore. The Packers expect to have quarterback Jordan Love back. He missed the final two regular-season games after exiting the loss at Chicago with a concussion.

Packers’ Nixon was a pivotal figure in both regular-season games

The Packers overtook the Bears for the NFC North lead with a 28-21 win in Week 14, hanging on thanks to an interception by Keisean Nixon in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining. Chicago had fourth-and-1 at the 14 and Williams badly underthrew Cole Kmet. Williams got some payback two weeks later by throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore in overtime for a 22-16 win. The Bears rallied from 10 points down in the final two minutes of regulation. Nixon had coverage on the winning TD, after he and Nate Hobbs left Jahdae Walker wide open on the tying score. Nixon was looking forward to playing the Bears again. “I didn’t want nobody else,” he said. “I wanted the Bears.”

Not much playoff history for these franchises

The last time Green Bay and Chicago met in the playoffs, Rodgers took a Lambeau leap out of Brett Favre’s shadow and the Packers knocked Jay Cutler out of the game with a knee injury on the way to a 21-14 victory. The Packers went on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks later in Dallas and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to “Titletown USA” for the first time since the 1996 team won it. In 1941, George Halas’ Bears beat Curly Lambeau’s Packers in the playoffs at Wrigley Field. Chicago then knocked off the New York Giants in the NFL championship game, also at Wrigley.

Packers seek to end skid

The Packers are the fourth team in NFL history to head into the playoffs on a losing streak of at least four games. The others were the 1986 New York Jets, 1999 Detroit Lions and 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers. Those Lions and Steelers both lost their playoff openers. The Jets won a wild-card game against Kansas City before losing to Cleveland in overtime in the divisional round.

Packers player to watch

QB Jordan Love: He hasn’t played in a game since a helmet-to-helmet hit from Chicago’s Austin Booker in the second quarter of the Dec. 20 Packers-Bears game sent him into concussion protocol. Love was cleared before Green Bay’s regular-season finale, but the Packers opted to rest him for the playoffs. Love has nine touchdown passes and only two interceptions in six games against the Bears.

Bears player to watch

QB Caleb Williams. The Bears envisioned deep playoff runs on a regular basis when they drafted Williams with the No. 1 overall pick last year. They hope this is just the start. Williams threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Though his completion percentage ranked last among qualifying leaders, he became more and more comfortable in coach Ben Johnson’s system.

Key matchup

Chicago’s running backs against Green Bay’s defensive line. Though the Bears’ run game emerged as one of the best this season behind a retooled line, it was hard to tell against Detroit. Chicago managed just 65 yards rushing, with D’Andre Swift held to 40 yards on 10 attempts and rookie Kyle Monangai finishing with 14 yards on six carries. With Swift running for 1,087 yards and Monangai adding 783, the Bears were the only team with two 750-yard rushers. Green Bay struggled to stop the run in recent weeks, with Devonte Wyatt (ankle) and then Micah Parsons (knee) suffering season-ending injuries. The Packers gave up 150 yards rushing to the Bears in their most recent meeting and then allowed Derrick Henry to run for 216 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-24 loss to Baltimore.

Key injuries

Packers: WR/CB Bo Melton (knee), CB Kamal Hadden (ankle), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), DL Jordon Riley (Achilles tendon) and S Zayne Anderson (ankle) have gone on injured reserve since the most recent Packers-Bears game… OT Zach Tom (knee) missed the Packers’ last three regular-season games and is questionable for Saturday. Also questionable are DL Warren Brinson (foot), S Javon Bullard (knee), LB Nick Niemann (pectoral), WR Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) and backup QB Malik Willis (shoulder/hamstring).

Bears: WR Rome Odunze (foot) expects to play after missing the final five regular-season games… CB Kyler Gordon (groin) is questionable as he attempts to return after being sidelined since Week 13. He has been limited to three games because of hamstring and groin injuries… CB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, LB Amen Ogbongbemiga and DL Joe Tryon-Shoyinka have been ruled out because of concussions… OL Braxton Jones (knee) is questionable.

Series notes

The Packers are 30-7 against the Bears counting the playoffs since the start of the 2008 season, with the past four games coming down to the wire. In 2024, both came down to field-goal attempts by Chicago’s Cairo Santos on the final play — one that got blocked and one that was successful. This season, Green Bay hung on to win 28-21 in Week 14 at Lambeau Field when Keisean Nixon intercepted Williams in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining. Chicago returned the favor two weeks later, rallying from 10 down in the final two minutes of regulation before Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown to DJ Moore in overtime. This is the third playoff game between the longtime rivals — all in Chicago. The Bears won a Western Division playoff game over the Packers 33-14 at Wrigley Field on Dec. 14, 1941. The Packers beat the Bears 21-14 in an NFC championship game at Soldier Field on Jan. 23, 2011.

Stats and stuff

The Packers have the NFC’s No. 7 playoff seed for the third straight year. They reached the divisional round in 2023 and lost 22-10 at Philadelphia in the wild-card round last season… The Packers dropped their final four regular-season games… They’re the fourth team to enter the playoffs after losing at least four straight games to end the regular season. The others were the 1986 New York Jets, 1999 Detroit Lions and 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers. The only team in that group to win a playoff game was the 1986 Jets, who beat Kansas City in the wild-card round before losing to Cleveland in overtime in the divisional round… Packers DL Rashan Gary had 7½ sacks in Green Bay’s first seven games but doesn’t have any since… Packers RB Josh Jacobs had 13 touchdown runs this season, putting him in a tie for fourth place in the league. Jacobs didn’t play against the Vikings and had just 39 yards rushing on 16 carries over his final two regular-season games as he dealt with a knee issue… The Bears won the NFC North for the first time since 2018 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They have lost three straight postseason games since the 2010 team beat Seattle in a divisional game at Soldier Field… The Bears dropped their final two regular-season games, losing to Detroit on a last-second field goal after coming up short in a 42-38 shootout at San Francisco. They gave up 433 yards against the Lions after the 49ers went off for 496… If Chicago beats Green Bay, Ben Johnson would become the franchise’s first coach to win a playoff game in their first season… The Bears led the league in interceptions (23), takeaways (33) and turnover differential (plus-22) while committing a league-low 11 turnovers… Chicago won six games after trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter… With seven interceptions, S Kevin Byard led the league for the second time in his 10 seasons.

2025 Week 18 — Green Bay at Minnesota

Vikings’ McCarthy returns; Packers’ Tune gets 2nd career start

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Green Bay (9-6-1) at Minnesota (8-8)

Day/Time/TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS.

Series record: Packers lead 67-60-3.

Last week: Packers lost 41-24 to Ravens; Vikings beat Lions 23-10.

Last meeting: Packers beat Vikings 23-6 in Green Bay on Nov. 23.

Packers offense: overall (10), rush (17), pass (10), scoring (13).

Packers defense: overall (11), rush (15), pass (7), scoring (11).

Vikings offense: overall (29), rush (25), pass (31), scoring (26).

Vikings defense: overall (5), rush (22), pass (3), scoring (9T).

Turnover differential: Packers even; Vikings minus-8.

Justin Jefferson has hardly been admired more by the Minnesota Vikings than during this season of frustration for their once-potent offense, despite production by the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver that has lagged well behind his remarkable standard. Helping him hit the 1,000-yard mark — against the rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday — would be at least be a nice parting gift. “I want to leave this year off with a good note,” said Jefferson, who has the most yards receiving in NFL history over a player’s first six seasons.

The Vikings were eliminated from contention for the playoffs before they took the field in Week 15, their earliest exit from the race since 2014, with a predictably rocky debut for quarterback J.J. McCarthy the primary reason. Backups Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer have also taken their turns struggling to keep afloat the down-field passing attack that has revolved around Jefferson since coach Kevin O’Connell his arrival in 2022.

Jefferson’s averages of 12.5 yards per reception and 59.2 yards per game are by far career lows, even though he has run his routes as well as ever and stayed healthy all season. But he has lived up to his role as a captain by never complaining, doing his best to encourage the developing McCarthy despite one of his prime years being squandered.

“It means a lot just to go out there and continue to compete, continue to give it my all and just show the effort,” said Jefferson, who needs 53 yards against the Packers to become the third receiver in league history to log 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons after Randy Moss and Mike Evans.

McCarthy, who missed the last game with a hand injury, will make just his 10th career start. His first one against the Packers on Nov. 23, was one of his worst.

“It starts with that offseason work and building that connection and eliminating those habits that he had that we felt hindered him throughout the season,” Jefferson said this week, publicly expressing his desire to have McCarthy as the starter again in 2026. “He still has learning to do and growing to do, so that’s all part of the game, but it’s up to me to require more of him and to work with him more.”

Packers name Tune

With Jordan Love playing it safe on the sideline after a concussion two weeks ago and backup Malik Willis dealing with injuries, Clayton Tune will start at quarterback for Green Bay. His only other NFL start came as a rookie in 2023 with Arizona, when he was sacked seven times and threw two interceptions in a 27-0 loss to Cleveland. “Obviously in practice you try to prepare for the game as much as you can, but once you’re in it for real, that’s when you get the full sense of it,” said Tune, who was a fifth-round draft pick out of Houston. “I’m excited to be in there and trust the training I’ve put in.”

Balancing rest with rust

The Packers, who are locked into the last wild-card spot for the NFC playoffs for the third straight time, had a remote chance of bettering the No. 7 seed entering the regular-season finale last year when they lost to Chicago and lost wide receiver Christian Watson to a torn ACL. With the injuries to vital players taking their toll this season, the Packers can’t afford to lose another one and will likely hold more healthy starters out beyond Love. But they would also prefer not to take a fourth straight loss into the playoffs. According to Sportradar, only three teams in NFL history – the Jets (1986), the Lions (1999) and the Steelers (2024) — have entered the postseason with a four-game losing streak or longer. Only the Jets won their first playoff game from that group. “That’s what practice is all there for, and I think we’ve done a great job of amping it up this week,” Love said. “Guys have been flying around at practice. We’ve been doing a great job.”

Green Bay’s cornerback concerns

Not only will McCarthy and the Vikings’ offense not have to face star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL last month, but the Packers are hurting at cornerback, too. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine haven’t played particularly well during this late-season slump, and backups Kamal Hadden and Nate Hobbs went on injured reserve this week. The Packers claimed Trevon Diggs off waivers from Dallas this week, with the possibility the two-time Pro Bowl pick will play Sunday after just a few days of orientation. “The same coverages are same coverages,” said Diggs, who led the NFL with 11 interceptions in an All-Pro season in 2021. “It’s just different languages and different terminology. I feel like that’s just going to be the tough part.”

Melton’s two-way moment?

Another option at cornerback for Green Bay could be wide receiver Bo Melton, who has worked on defense in practice this season though all of his game action has been on offense and special teams. “I’m not going to take any opportunity and make it bigger than what it is — even though it could be, could not be,” Melton said. “At the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and be me.”

Packers player to watch

WR/CB Bo Melton: With the Packers planning to rest several top players with their spot in the playoffs secure as the No. 7 seed in the NFC, the versatile Melton could have a significant role. The fourth-year wide receiver, who has taken 83 snaps on offense and 176 on special teams, has actually spent the majority of this season working at cornerback in practice though he hasn’t seen any game action on defense. Injuries have thinned the secondary depth so much that Melton might get playing time on both offense and defense.

Vikings player to watch

FS Harrison Smith. The 14th-year player, who is again undecided about whether to return next season, has been performing as if he’s still in his prime down the stretch. Making many of the calls on the field for defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Smith won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award with three passes defensed, one sack and one interception last week against Detroit.

Key matchup

Flores against Packers QB Clayton Tune. With Jordan Love resting for the playoffs and backup Malik Willis dealing with shoulder and hamstring injuries, Tune will get his second career NFL start. His first came as a rookie in 2023 with Arizona. One of the league’s best schemers of aggressive pass rushing and pre-snap disguises, Flores and his players will be a handful for Tune. The Vikings have 22 sacks and 12 takeaways over the past eight games, with just two passing touchdowns and an average of 143 passing yards per game allowed.

Key injuries

Packers: Love has cleared the concussion protocol and is available, but coach Matt LaFleur wants to hold him out. Willis was listed as questionable… CB Kamal Hadden (ankle), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), DL Jordan Riley (Achilles tendon) and S Zayne Anderson (ankle) went on injured reserve after they were hurt against Baltimore. There are 10 other players on IR, including standouts DE Micah Parsons (knee), TE Tucker Kraft (knee) and C Elgton Jenkins (lower leg)… WR Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) is doubtful to play after he was injured against the Ravens… RT Zach Tom (back/knee) didn’t play last week and is listed as questionable.

Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy (hand) will start after missing the previous game, and RT Brian O’Neill (heel) and RB Jordan Mason (ankle) will also return after being sidelined last week… TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) will miss his second straight game, and RB Aaron Jones (hip) and KR/WR Myles Price (ankle) are also out this week… Starters LT Christian Darrisaw (knee), C Ryan Kelly (concussion), OLB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder), S Josh Metellus (shoulder) have been shut down for the season.

Series notes

This is the first time since 2021 that Green Bay has finished the regular season on the road and the first time since 2021 that Minnesota has finished the schedule at home. The most recent time the division rivals met in the final game in Minnesota was 2012. The previous time they played in the final week was 2015… The Vikings have beaten the Packers in three of their past four meetings in Minnesota.

Stats and stuff

The Packers have the No. 7 seed for the third straight year. Every other team in the NFC North has won a division title since their most recent one in 2021… In Tune’s previous NFL start, he went 11 for 20 for 58 yards and two interceptions in a 27-0 loss to Cleveland… Packers WR Christian Watson’s six TD catches are one short of his career high as a rookie in 2022. His 611 receiving yards are nine off the career high he set last year. Watson has played in only 10 games… The 307 rushing yards the Packers allowed against Baltimore was the highest single-game total against them since Philadelphia (363) in 2022. Derrick Henry (216 rushing yards) had the most ever by a visiting player at Lambeau Field… Green Bay has only one sack over this three-game losing streak. DL Rashan Gary had 7½ sacks in the first seven games but has none in nine games since… The Vikings have won four straight games. This the largest spread with them as the favorite on the betting lines all season… Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, whose 8,379 receiving yards are the most in NFL history over a player’s first six years, needs 53 yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark this season. The only other players to do so in each of their first six seasons were Randy Moss and Mike Evans… The Vikings have multiple sacks in 14 of 16 games this season… Smith (202) has the third-most games started in Vikings history, behind Jim Marshall (270) and Mick Tingelhoff (240)… Vikings LB Blake Cashman is tied for ninth in the league with 137 tackles, despite missing four games early in the season with a hamstring strain. He has nine games with 10-plus tackles this season, the most by a Vikings player since 1987.