Packers clinch division title with 21-13 defeat of Bears

The Green Bay Packers clinched their second straight NFC North title with a 21-13 win over the Bears in Chicago.

James Jones caught three touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers, who went 23 for 36 for 291 yards.

The Packers are 10-4. They have won three straight and eight of their last nine.

The Packers took a 21-7 lead and hung on from there in a game that was as physical and intense as promised by all the trash-talking by players on both sides during the past week.

All three of Green Bay's touchdowns were passes from Aaron Rodgers to James Jones of 29, 8 and 6 yards. It was the Packers' third straight win overall, their sixth in a row over the Bears, and their 12th consecutive triumph over their North Division opponents.

The victory guaranteed Green Bay a home game in the playoffs. The Pack continues to hold the NFC’s No. 3 playoff seed, and would host a Wild Card game if the postseason were to begin today.

The Packers remain a half-game behind San Francisco for the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye after the 49’ers won at New England 41-34 on Sunday Night.

The Packers were up by 11 midway through the fourth quarter when Randall Cobb tossed a throwback pass to Jeremy Ross, who fumbled it. The Bears recovered and kicked a field goal to make it a one-possession game. The eight-point margin remained until the end.

Crosby misses two more

Mason Crosby missed both his field goal attempts of 43 and 42 yards. He's now just 17 of 29 in field goals for the season.

Rodgers threw for 291 yards and Randall Cobb caught six passes for 115 yards.

Green Bay had 113 yards on the ground, led by Alex Green with 35. Green Bay outgained Chicago in total yards 291 yards to 135. The Packers held the ball almost seven minutes longer.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler threw for 135 yards and an early touchdown to Brandon Marshall, who caught six passes for 56 yards. Matt Forte had 20 carries for 69 yards.

Bears trash talker

Bears receiver Brandon Marshall broke down and walked out of his news conference after Sunday’s Chicago loss to Green Bay. Marshall started all the trash-talking last Wednesday when he said he hated the Packers. He gave Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers the only credit for shutting him down when the Packers beat the Bears in September.

Sunday, Marshall pointed the finger at himself and his teammates and said, “Everyone in this offense should be held accountable, even if that means jobs.”

Amid long pauses and glares, Marshall said the situation is affecting him more than it should.

“I’ve got to try my best to keep it together,” he said.

Marshall scored a touchdown early but was then contained by the Packer defense, which did its talking on the field.

Veteran Charles Woodson called the whole thing “corny.” He didn’t play, because he’s still getting over his broken collarbone from early October.

Vikings and Bears are tied

Minnesota and Chicago are now tied for second in the NFC North at 8-6. They remain in the Wild Card hunt after Sunday’s play. The Vikings won at St. Louis 36-22, while last-place Detroit dropped to 4-10 with a 38-10 loss at Arizona.

Adrian Peterson ran for 212 yards for the Vikings, including an 82-yard touchdown run. With two games left, Peterson is 294 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s NFL season rushing record of 2,105 yards.

The Lions committed four turnovers in their game. All of them resulted in Cardinals’ touchdowns.

Beanie Wells had three rushing touchdowns for Arizona. Detroit’s Calvin Johnson tied an NFL record with his seventh straight 100-yard receiving game, with 10 catches for 121 yards. It was not enough for the Lions, who’ve now lost six straight.

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