Just when it looked ike the Green Bay Packers were about to drop a home game against a possible playoff foe like the Chicago Bears in the worst way possible, cornerback Keisean Nixon managed to save the day with one of the most clutch plays in recent Packer history.
As Bears quarterback Caleb Williams moved the team down the field in search of a touchdown that could even up the 28-21 situation Green Bay found themselves in, Nixon managed to read an underthrown ball from Williams on fourth down and intercept him in the end zone.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who did his part in his usual Toyotathon hot streak by throwing three touchdown passes, could barely contain his emotions after the game, as Nixon's play could be the difference between a home playoff game and barely sneaking in as a Wild Card team.
"I was juiced," Love said on the FOX live broadcast. "I mean, come on. That's how you ice it. I mean, in these games. Division game. Everything on the line. That's when you need your best players to make their best plays, and that's what K9 did there."
Packers QB Jordan Love was hyped up after Keisean Nixon's game-winning INT
Nixon stepped up at the perfect time for the Packers, as a defense that had taken some steps back after looking like one of the absolute best units in the league during the start of the season finally found its rhythm and sent Williams home with just his second loss since Week 3.
After Williams was inaccurate and totally bottled up in the first half, the combination of some tremendous plays out of the pocket and a strong ground game had the Packers looking like a team that didn't know which way was up in the third quarter. However, Williams' eye for a big play cost him.
The Packers' win has put them back in first place in the NFC North and the No. 2 seed in the conference as a whole. The 10-3 Los Angeles Rams have a slight advantage over the 10-3 Seattle Seahawks, giving them the top seed in the conference.
If the season ended today, the No. 2 seed Packers would play...the No. 7 seed Bears at Lambeau Field in the playoffs. As Nixon and Love showed, Green Bay should head into that matchup feeling quite confident in how they match up to their ancient enemy.