Packer Central

Stock Report: Josh Jacobs, Keisean Nixon Vault Packers into First Place

A back and forth second half saw the Packers trying to save the game from deep in their own territory with less than 30 seconds left. Their defense was able to make the one big play it needed, and the Packers are in first place in the NFC North
Jacob Westendorf|
Dec 7, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) is tackled by Chicago Bears defensive lineman Austin Booker (94) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) is tackled by Chicago Bears defensive lineman Austin Booker (94) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears entered Sunday’s game with first place in the NFC North on the line.

Both teams sat with three losses, and were set to play twice in the next three weeks. The winner of the game would at least hold an advantage the next time the two teams meet.

Caleb Williams had plenty of juice early in the game, missing his first two passes well over his receivers head. Green Bay’s offense was plagued by negative plays in the first quarter.

Green Bay finally got out of its own way to open the scoring with 9:19 remaining in the second quarter when Jordan Love found Christian Watson for a 23-yard touchdown.

The Packers, thanks to an unlikely hero, went into halftime with a 14-3 lead.

The second half was a back-and-forth affair with the two teams trading blows before one big play decided the game, an interception from Keisean Nixon.

Here are the risers and fallers with our weekly stock report.

Stock Up: WR Christian Watson  

After being stuck in neutral for most of the first quarter, Green Bay’s offense finally found some traction on its third possession, which spiled into the second quarter.

Green Bay’s first two possessions were marred by negative plays, including an interception from Jordan Love on the first possession of the game.

Facing a third-and-10 from the Chicago 23, the Bears showed a look like they were going to bring pressure.

Love adjusted the protection as the Bears brought six guys trying to create a negative play and hold the Packers to a field goal. Instead, the Packers picked up the blitz beautifully thanks in part to Chris Brooks as Love flicked his wrist.

On the other end of the flick, was Watson for a 23-yard score to help break the seal for Green Bay’s offense. That was his second consecutive week with a touchdown of more than 20 yards.

Of course Watson was not content to just be done there. Facing a third-and-3 from the Bears’ 41 yardline after the Packers had just given up a touchdown to allow the Bears to pull within three, Love dialed up Watson again.

Watson beat Chauncey Gardner-Johnson easily on a slant and ran away from the rest of the defense for a 41-yard touchdown to put the Packers back in front by two scores.  Per NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Watson hit over 21.6 miles-per-hour on the play.

Watson continues to ascend as one of Green Bay’s best players on offense, and is Love’s clear big play receiver. The impact of players like Watson gets bigger in December. Explosive plays win the big games, and Watson is their most explosive weapon.

Stock Up: WR Bo Melton

The Packers had a receiving corps at full strength. Jayden Reed was back. Matthew Golden was back.

You’d be in your right mind if you were wondering why Bo Melton was on the field with all of the guys that Green Bay had at their disposal when the offense took the field in the two-minute offense.

It took all of one play for Melton to show why the Packers still value him as a receiver in their offense.

Love wound up trying to score a back-breaking touchdown before halftime.

The pass was not intended for Christian Watson or Romeo Doubs, but rather Melton, who scored from 45-yards out.

Melton’s opportunities are likely to continue to be limited in the offense, but making the most of the ones he did get in Sunday’s game earn him a spot on our weekly risers list.

Stock Up: RB Josh Jacobs

The Packers’ defense was bleeding out in the second half, giving up 18 points on three possessions, and squandering a 14-3 lead they were staked to at halftime.

Green Bay’s offense did not hold up its end of the bargain either. Two of their three possessions in the second half resulted in three plays before a punt.

Their fourth possession saw them take the field with a 21-21 tie, and needing a scoring drive to keep the pressure on Chicago’s offense. They also needed to keep their defense off the field for a breather.

In the biggest situations, the ball goes to a team’s best players. Josh Jacobs was a featured player on Green Bay’s seven play drive, touching the ball five times on the possession.

Two key plays included a third-and-1 where Jacobs had no business gaining any yards on the play. Jacobs shook two defenders and ran through another to convert all the way to the Chicago seven.

Two plays later, Jacobs pushed the pile from the two yard line in to the end zone and the Packers had a 28-21 lead to hand to their defense in an effort to close things out.

Stock Up: CB Keisean Nixon

Keisean Nixon has done some good things for Green Bay’s defense this season. At one point in the year he was tied for the league lead in pass breakups.

Sunday’s game was not one of those games. Nixon is a competitive player, which is something the Packers coaching staff loves about him. Sometimes his temperament is something that can get him in trouble in the biggest games where the stakes are the highest.

Chicago’s first scoring drive of the game was essentially on the back of Nixon. Last week in Detroit, Nixon was called for illegal contact which wiped out a third down sack. It’d be fair to ask the league what they expect Nixon to do differently in that situation.

In the second quarter, Nixon was flagged twice, and both penalties were costly. The first was an illegal hands to the face penalty which came after the Packers had a run stop from Javon Bullard and Edgerrin Cooper. The play had it stood would have set up a third-and-8.

Instead of an obvious passing situation, the Bears were gifted a free set of downs.

Later in the drive, the Packers stopped the run again, putting Chicago behind the sticks before a fracas broke out. Bear players were in the Packers huddle, which led to a skirmish that escalated. At the end of it all, Nixon was hit with a 15 yard penalty for a personal foul penalty.

To be fair to Nixon, Luther Burden had his hand on Nixon’s throat, which led to the situation that resulted in a penalty.

As the saying goes, it’s usually the second person who gets caught.

Regardless of what happened to instigate the situation, Nixon needs to be better in those spots as a veteran player.

Furthermore, Nixon came into the game with eight penalties called against him, and is second among defensive backs. The book is out on him to some degree that he is prone to penalties.

The second half was not much kinder to Nixon as Caleb Williams fit a pass around his out stretched arms in the end zone to Olamide Zaccheaus to pull the Bears within 14-11.

However, sometimes one big play can change the entire game, and that’s exactly what Nixon did in the final minute of the game.

The Bears were facing a fourth-and-1 with the game on the line with the clock having bled to less than 30 seconds.

Caleb Williams rolled to his left, but underthrew the ball for Cole Kmet into the waiting hands of Nixon.

Sometimes, all of the tough plays are erased by one good one, and this was one of those days for the Packers’ mercurial cornerback.

Stock Down: Second Half Defense

Green Bay’s defense was dominant in the first half. Chicago had less than 100 total yards in the first half and only three points to show for their efforts. Green Bay was able to harass Caleb Williams and make him feel uncomfortable.

The offense took the field with a chance to put the Bears in a 21-3 hole, but after it failed to do so, the defense started to show some cracks in its foundation.

Chicago’s offense patiently moved the ball down the field largely on the arm of Williams, which included a bullet to Olamide Zaccheaus for Chicago’s first touchdown of the game. The subsequent two-point conversion pulled the Bears within 14-11.

Green Bay’s offense had an answer with Christian Watson’s second touchdown of the day, but the defense leaked again.

Brandon McManus’ kickoff went out of bounds, which gave the Bears good field position and they went right to work.

Chicago’s offense stalled out in the red zone, but was able to put more points on the board with a 41-yard field goal from Cairo Santos.

The defense took the field again to protect a 21-14 lead after the Packers’ offense went three-and-out for the second time in three possessions.

They did not fare any better as Chicago’s run game found some traction and found ways to wear down Green Bay’s already tired defense.

The result was a 17-play 83-yard drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. The final play of the series was a one-yard scoring strike from Caleb Williams to Colston Loveland.

 After Green Bay’s offense gave them a 28-21 lead, Metallica’s Enter Sandman played over the speakers throughout the stadium.

Green Bay’s defense did not get the memo as Chicago continued to move the ball down the field, largely unchallenged.

Keisean Nixon, however, came to save the day for Green Bay, as Williams underthrew a pass to Cole Kmet. Nixon caught the ball in the end zone, and the Packers kneeled out the clock.

The defense still makes this side of the list because of how easily Chicago was able to move the ball in the second half.

These two teams play again in two weeks, and Green Bay will need to have some answers for the meeting at Soldier Field.

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Jacob Westendorf
JACOB WESTENDORF