Bear Digest

Setting the stage for Chicago Bears' playoff run in the NFC

Even sitting as top seed means little in this NFC playoff chase because too many teams are bunched together with the Bears.
Gene Chamberlain|
D'Andre Swift celebrates the Bears' win over Philadelpha, one which set up Sunday's showdown in Green Bay.
D'Andre Swift celebrates the Bears' win over Philadelpha, one which set up Sunday's showdown in Green Bay. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sunday's Bears game at Green Bay has been billed Armageddon on a football field because it's for the NFC North lead, besides being the renewal of the league's most ancient rivalry.

However, the real possibility exists that despite all the hype, the same teams could be right back in this same situation on Saturday, Dec. 20 when they have their rematch at Soldier Field.

The Bears follow Sunday's game with a home game against Cleveland, which has the league's second-best defense. It's also a Browns team saddled with a 3-9 record because of its offense.

Meanwhile, the Packers play at Denver. Now 10-2, the Broncos have a better  record than anyone except New England and the Patriots have played the league's softest schedule.

So, even with a Bears loss to Green Bay Sunday, it's possible the Bears would go into their home game with the Packers owning half-game lead again over the Packers.

With seven NFC teams owning eight or nine victories, and six of them vying for five playoff spots, the rough part to grasp for Bears fans is how quickly their team could drop to seventh or even out of the playoffs in eighth seed if they're unable to keep the current five-game winning streak going.

Green Bay also must play the Ravens yet. The Bears have what is  deemed the fourth-toughest remaining schedule based on opponents' winning percentage (.597). Green Bay's is second-toughest (.633), while Detroit's is sixth toughest.

The 49ers, Seahawks and Rams all have nine wins but it doesn't look like a walk-through to wild card for whoever fails to win the NFC West. The 49ers have the eighth toughest remaining schedule, the Seahawks have the fifth-toughest.

The only thing certain about the Bears' fate is it's 180 degrees opposite of what they faced last year at this point, with an interim offensive coordinator suddenly thrust into a job for five games as the interim head coach.

That interim head coach, Thomas Brown, was the only Bears coach to own a winning record against Matt LaFleur and only Bears coach to have his team win a game at Lambeau Field since John Fox did it in 2017.

Here is the outlook for the six teams battling essentially for five playoff spots. The NFC East and South are races for the division lead but their second-place teams are probably too far back to get into the wild card chase.

Remaining schedules

NFC Playoff Chase

Bears (9-3): At Packers (8-3-1) today; Dec. 14 Browns (3-9); Dec. 20 Packers (8-3-1); Dec. 28 at 49ers (9-4); Jan. 4 Lions (8-5)

Packers (8-3-1): Bears (9-3) today; Dec. 14 at Broncos (10-2); Dec. 20 at Bears (9-3); Dec. 28 Ravens (6-6); Jan. 4 at Vikings (4-8).  

Lions (8-5): Dec. 14 at Rams (9-3); Dec. 21 Steelers (6-6); Dec. 25 at Vikings (4-8); Jan. 4 at Bears (9-3).

49ers (9-4): Dec. 14 Titans (1-11); Dec. 22 at Colts (8-4); Dec. 28 Bears (9-3); Jan. 4 Seahawks (9-3).

Rams (9-3): at Cardinals (3-9) today; Dec. 14 Lions (8-5); Dec. 18 at Seahc. 29 at Falcons (4-8); Jan. 4 Cardinals (3-9)

Seahawks: at Falcons (4-8) today; Dec. 14 Colts (8-4); Dec. 18 Rams (9-3); Dec. 28 at Panthers (7-6); Jan. 4 at 49ers (9-4)

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.