CHICAGO — Robbie Gould kicked a 38-yard field goal with 11:28 left in overtime and the Chicago Bears overcame frigid conditions and the Green Bay Packers for a 20-17 victory last night to stay in the running for the playoffs.

Chicago's Alex Brown blocked Mason Crosby's 38-yard field-goal try with 18 seconds left in regulation to preserve a 17-17 tie and send the game into overtime.

"Our season was on the line. There was a timeout, so we had a little time to really get the guys one more time and say, 'Hey, we really have to block this kick,' " Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "And Alex Brown came through like he's come through many times in the five years I've been here."

The temperature at Soldier Field was announced at 2 degrees, making it the coldest home game in Bears' history since records started being kept in 1963.

In overtime, Kyle Orton threw a 17-yard pass to Greg Olsen and a 15-yard penalty on Green Bay's Aaron Rouse for a horse collar tackle gave the Bears the ball at the Green Bay 35. A third-down pass of 14 yards to Matt Forte got it to the Green Bay 20 to set up the winning kick — Gould's second straight game-winner in overtime.

"Just a crazy game. A hard-fought game. Everything was on the line for us, obviously," Orton said.

The Bears (9-6), who stayed in contention for the NFC North over the weekend when Atlanta beat Minnesota, won their third straight and rallied from a 14-3 halftime deficit to do it.

"We still have ourselves in position," Smith said.

Green Bay (5-10) dominated the first half, but lost its fifth straight after routing the Bears, 37-3, at Lambeau Field in mid-November.

Forte's 3-yard TD with 3:11 left lifted the Bears into a tie.

If the Bears win at Houston Sunday and the Vikings lose at home to the Giants, Chicago captures the NFC North. Minnesota holds the tiebreaker over the Bears, so if both teams win Sunday, the Vikings win the division.