1. Chicago Bears (9-3): Up next — At Green Bay Packers in Week 14 Notable odds: The Bears jumped into first in the NFC standings Sunday afternoon as a result of the Panthers' upset of the Rams. Friday's Bears win over the Eagles bumped Chicago's odds to win the NFC North to 30% in The Athletic's playoff simulator.

The Carolina Panthers kept their playoff hopes alive with an upset win of the NFC's No. 1 seed, the Los Angeles Rams, in the headline game of the Week 13 early slate.

Thanks to a shocking loss by the Los Angeles Rams to the Carolina Panthers, the 9-3 Bears vaulted into the No. 1 seed in the NFC as the NFL season heads into December. If the playoffs started today, the NFC road to the Super Bowl would go through Soldier Field.

The Bears took care of business on Black Friday when they wore down the Philadelphia Eagles, winning 24-15 to improve to 9-3. The victory kept them atop the NFC North division for the second week in a row and boosted their postseason chances with five games to go in the regular season. But they could climb even higher with the Panthers' help.

Matthew Stafford had a rough outing and one Carolina Panthers delivered a strong dose of reality after defeating the Loa Angeles Rams.

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For Rams fans, the Week 13 matchup between the Eagles and Bears has a clear side to take. Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams getting a huge win would help the Rams immensely, as their chances to secure the number one seed would be far and away the best in the conference.

The Chicago Bears are trending up. Where do they fit in amongst the best teams in the NFL? Our Week 13 power rankings: