Bears mount incredible comeback to knock off Packers in OT

With the victory, the Bears (11-4) avenged their Week 14 loss in Green Bay, extended their division lead to a game-and-a-half over the Packers (9-5-1) with two contests remaining and registered their seventh win in their last eight games.

The Bears will clinch a playoff berth Sunday if the Lions lose to the Steelers in Detroit and can secure the NFC North title by winning either of their final two games at San Francisco or at home versus Detroit. They would also capture the division crown if the Packers lose one of their last two contests versus Baltimore or at Minnesota and the Lions drop one of their next two games against Pittsburgh or at Minnesota.

The Bears have now won six games this season in which they trailed in the final two minutes of regulation, the most in the NFL this year and the most in franchise history.

“This is a special group,” Johnson said. “I felt that early in the season. You get some of those wins—the Raiders game, the Washington game—and you start feeling it, the belief is coming. This group—I’m talking about coaches and players combined—it’s rare, it really is. I can’t say enough good things about the people in this building.

“[General manager] Ryan [Poles] has done a great job bringing this collection of people together. They’re mentally tough. They’re physically tough. I know we’re going to fight you for 60 minutes and even though the odds were against us there that late, we’re going to keep on swinging and make some plays when we needed to.”

After Cairo Santos’ 43-yard field goal cut the deficit to 16-9 with 1:59 to play in the fourth quarter, Josh Blackwell recovered the subsequent onside kick at the Bears’ 47.