It's rare for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears to avoid each other before December. It's rare for the league's oldest rivals to meet twice in three weeks, and in recent times, it's unheard of for both teams to have a shot at the NFC North title and top seed in the same season.
All of this. Rare.
That's what makes the upcoming double-header, beginning at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon and followed by the swift rematch at Soldier Field in Week 16, so deliciously poised. And the NFL has taken the second showdown to the next level.
We already knew the Week 16 game in Chicago would fall on a Saturday. The league has now announced that it will take place in the primetime slot, with a 7:20 p.m. CT kickoff on FOX.
Packers-Bears showdown in Week 16 has been handed a primetime slot
A late December Packers-Bears primetime matchup with both teams going for the NFC North title? Inside a frozen Soldier Field? It's pure footballing cinema.
Chicago enters this week's contest with an NFC-best 9-3 record, fresh off an impressive road win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Green Bay sits just behind at 8-3-1 while boasting a perfect 3-0 record inside the division. The Bears are 1-2 against NFC North opponents.
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Ben Johnson's rejuvenated squad has won five in a row and lost only once since a 52-21 shellacking at Ford Field all the way back in Week 2. Matt LaFleur's Packers are winners of three straight, with only two defeats since a Week 3 upset loss to the Cleveland Browns.
But this Sunday's matchup is only Round 1.
Green Bay will then travel to Denver for an equally challenging matchup against the red-hot AFC West leaders, while Chicago will host Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns. Then they will meet again. Packers-Bears. Week 16. Five days before Christmas. In primetime.
The Detroit Lions aren't out of the NFC North race, but they have lost three of their past five and slipped to 7-5 after falling to the Packers on Thanksgiving. They need to overcome a daunting run, with games against the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams up next.
The two Packers-Bears contests could determine who takes the Lions' division crown.
If Green Bay sweeps the series, it will end Week 16 no worse than 10-4-1, while Chicago could do no better than 10-5. That would put the Packers in the driver's seat. A series split would leave it wide open, while a Bears sweep would give them daylight atop the NFC North.
It doesn't get much bigger than this. Sunday's game at Lambeau falls into the late-window slot. Tom Brady and the No. 1 FOX team will call the action. Fast forward two weeks, and the rematch at Soldier Field will take place under the lights.
A rare late-December Packers-Bears game with high stakes for both teams. This is going to be fun.