Though Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears fell out of the running for the No. 1 seed in the NFC last week, they still have plenty on the line before the playoffs begin.

A milestone for the quarterback and a stronger postseason position for the team are at stake.

Williams has a chance to become the first 4,000-yard passer in the founding NFL franchise’s history, and the NFC North champion Bears can lock up the No. 2 seed in the NFC when they close the regular season against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field today.

The Bears (11-5) went from finishing last in the division a year ago to winning the NFC North for the first time since 2018 in their first season under coach Ben Johnson. They’re set to make their first postseason appearance in five years.

And they couldn’t have done it without the improved play from Williams.

The former USC and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback will almost certainly set Chicago’s single-season passing record. With 3,730 yards, he needs 109 to surpass Erik Kramer’s 3,838 in 1995. The bigger question is whether he can also get to 4,000. The Bears are the only team in the NFL not to have a 4,000-yard passer.

Sack-happy Broncos

When Denver won its first AFC West title in a decade last week, Sean Payton insisted that he’s not focused on the NFL-best and franchise-record 64 sacks the Broncos have piled up heading into today’s game against the Chargers with the AFC’s top playoff seed on the line.

“I’m not worried about the sacks, not worried about the sacks,” Payton said. “I’m worried about caging the quarterback, rushing him properly. So we’re not focused on the sack numbers.”

Still, they’re significant.

The Broncos’ 64 sacks, one more than they had last year when they also led the league, are 11 more than the next team’s, the Atlanta Falcons, who have 53.

A whopping 17 Denver players have gotten in on the sack attack, led by Nik Bonitto with 12 1/2.

“I think that’s the most underrated part about when we rush the passer, or a lot of these blitzes that are being called, is we have so many unselfish guys,” Bonitto said. “The D-tackles being willing to drop in coverage, the outside linebackers being able to drop in coverage and the DBs knowing when to blitz and just guys rushing the right way.

“That’s why we’re seeing the numbers that we are and everybody’s able to get a piece of the cake when it comes to getting the sacks.”

For a while, the Broncos were on pace to set the NFL record for most sacks in a season, a mark that’s held by the Chicago Bears, who had 72 sacks in 1984.

But since their bye week a month and a half ago, the Broncos have averaged three sacks a game, down from the 4.45 clip they produced during their first 11 games.

Titans moves

The Tennessee Titans placed wide receiver Van Jefferson (forearm) and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis on injured reserve Saturday and activated receiver Bryce Oliver and outside linebacker Ali Gaye from it.

Oliver and Gaye have no injury designation before today’s season finale at Jacksonville.

Jags sign Van Lanen

The Jacksonville Jaguars and new starting left tackle Cole Van Lanen agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension.

ESPN and NFL Network reported the extension was worth $51 million and included $32.5 million guaranteed.

Van Lanen started the last eight games for Jacksonville (12-4), which has won seven in a row and eight of nine heading into today’s regular-season finale against Tennessee (3-13).