Falcons Attempting to Eliminate Bears From Playoff Contention
In the wild, bears are dangerous hunters you don’t want to cross paths with. In the NFL, the Chicago Bears are attempting to build a similar reputation by doing the near impossible and making the playoffs in the Wild Card.
This week, the Bears play the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field with a one percent chance at making the playoffs, with hopes that the near impossible happens.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (rumored Atlanta Falcons target) will have a chance to prove he can lead a team to the playoffs in the final two weeks of the NFL season.
© Brett Davis, USA TODAY
In order for Chicago 6-9 to miraculously slide into the NFC Wild Card spot, the following must happen…
Week 17:
- The Bears MUST win the team’s final two games of the season (Falcons and Green Bay Packers). Winning both increases the odds from one percent to three percent.
- The New York Giants MUST beat the Los Angeles Rams, and the Pittsburgh Steelers MUST beat the Seattle Seahawks. These outcomes increase the odds from three percent to 27. THESE ARE NEEDED!
- Although not needed, the two following games would help drastically increase Chicago's playoff chances in Week 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers must beat the New Orleans Saints, and the Minnesota Vikings must beat the Packers. These outcomes would increase Chicago’s playoff odds to 38 percent.
Then, in Week 18:
- As previously stated, the Bears MUST win the final game against the Packers.
- Arizona Cardinals beat the Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers to beat the Rams.
If all of those outcomes occur, then Chicago will be back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and the second time since the infamous double doink took place in 2018.
As for Atlanta, the team will also be fighting for its life and keeping a potential playoff birth alive. Currently, the Falcons are in second place in the NFC South at 7-8, behind the Bucs at 8-7. This game will be important for Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, who is trying to prove he's the man to lead this team back to the Super Bowl and worth keeping for the future.
This game will also provide Atlanta fans an opportunity to get a good look at Chicago's current starting quarterback, Justin Fields, who some have speculated would be a trade candidate for the Falcons this offseason.
A lot is on the table this weekend when Atlanta travels to the Windy City to face the Bears, with both teams still in the playoff hunt. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
