The Green Bay Packers won their first division title in five years by forcing five turnovers and getting an outstanding performance by rookie running back Tony Fisher in a 30-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Fisher, an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, replaced Ahman Green, who hurt his left knee in the third quarter. Fisher ran 17 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.
The Packers (9-3), who were coming off two straight losses, clinched the NFC North. They also remained the only team without a loss at home (6-0).
On a cold, windy day at Lambeau Field, Brett Favre threw two second-half touchdown passes and improved to 33-0 at home in temperatures of 34 or below. He beat the Bears for the 18th time in 22 tries.
The Packers (9-3) trailed 14-6 at halftime and appeared on their way to another defeat until Rod Walker recovered Jim Miller's fumbled snap at the Green Bay 1 early in the third quarter.
It came one play after Marty Booker's apparent touchdown catch was called an incompletion, and the Bears lost a challenge.
The Packers then drove 90 yards with Fisher accounting for half of them and went ahead for the first time on Ryan Longwell's 27-yard field goal that made it 16-14.
Favre added an 8-yard touchdown toss to Bubba Franks, and Fisher scored from 2 yards out with 1:10 left to make it 30-14. Henry Burris threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Robinson with 8 seconds left.
Fisher was third on the depth chart until fellow rookie Najeh Davenport was lost for the season two weeks ago with a fractured left eye socket.
The Bears (3-9) also lost their starting running back, Anthony Davis, who broke his right index finger in the first half. He was replaced by Leon Johnson.
Green hurt his left knee when he was tackled by Mike Brown at the end of a 29-yard run early in the third quarter.
The Bears took a 14-6 halftime lead on tight end Dustin Lyman's first two career touchdowns, one of which he scored on a fake field goal.
Playing on grass for the first time all season, the Bears went ahead 7-0 when Paul Edinger lined up for a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter and holder Brad Maynard pitched the ball to Lyman instead.
The TD was set up by defensive end Alex Brown's recovery of Favre's fumble at the Green Bay 18.
Miller's 8-yard touchdown toss to Lyman made it 14-3, and Longwell's 31-yarder made it 14-6.
Then came a wild final minute before halftime.
Johnson fumbled at midfield with 21 seconds left, and Na'il Diggs recovered for Green Bay. On the final play of the half, Favre's pass was intercepted at the Bears 5 by Damon Moore, who raced down the sideline but fumbled at midfield.
Packers lineman Mike Flanagan recovered but tossed the ball into the air. Chicago cornerback Roosevelt Williams grabbed the gift and was on his way to another Bears touchdown when Packers receiver Javon Walker chased him down 15 yards shy of the end zone.
Associated Press
