For all intents and purposes, the Green Bay Packers needed a win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday to keep their minuscule playoff hopes alive. They could have remained alive with a loss, had a few specific results gone their way, but the road to the postseason would have been extremely difficult.
However, the Packers lost in Chicago 24-17, seeing a tie game slip away early in the fourth quarter and a comeback attempt end with a deflected interception in the end zone. Combined with the Minnesota Vikings’ 41-17 win over the Miami Dolphins, the Packers officially have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.