Bears can lock in their ticket to the playoffs in Week 16, but Ben Johnson will need one last favor from his former team to get it done
Can the Chicago Bears lock up a spot to the dance early?
The Chicago Bears took care of business in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns with a massive 31-3 win that put the team firmly back in the playoff race at 10-4.
With the win and the loss by the Green Bay Packers in Denver, the Bears jumped back on top of the NFC North standings and hold the No. 2 seed behind the 11-3 Los Angeles Rams with three games left to be played in the regular season.
Yet, no one is satisfied in Chicago right now, and head coach Ben Johnson made that known on Sunday when talking to reporters after the win.
“Not really,” Johnson said when asked if earning the 10th win meant anything to him. “We’re on to the next one. Ten is great, but it’s not enough.”
That’s not just coach-speak either. Ten wins are great, but not enough to secure a playoff position in the NFC the way things have lined up this season. But with an 11th win on Saturday and some help on Sunday, the Bears can actually punch their postseason ticket in Week 16.
Bears vs. Packers game just got even more implications than before
It all starts first against the Packers on Saturday night at Soldier Field, 13 days since losing on the final play of the game at Lambeau Field. It’s a massive game for both sides with heavy implications, even more than the previous game the Bears dropped back in Week 14.
“We’re excited,” tight end Cole Kmet said in the locker room on Sunday. “We obviously want to get back at these guys from the week before. Excited to have them here at our place and should be a great atmosphere on Saturday night. We’re looking forward to it.”
While only one game has passed since the previous matchup, it was a critical week for both teams. The Bears, as we mentioned, got a big win over the Browns to build back some momentum. Meanwhile, the Packers suffered a nightmare scenario in Denver.
Not only did Green Bay lose against the Broncos, but they also lost multiple standout players due to injury, including the big one. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons suffered what’s believed to be a torn ACL in the loss, and it really sets the Packers’ defense back entering the final stretch.
The latest news gives Chicago a leg up going into Saturday’s game, but a win against the Packers won’t be enough to lock in a playoff spot. The Bears will need some help from a division rival on Sunday as well.
Ben Johnson will need one last favor from the Lions to secure a playoff spot in Week 16
With a win over the Packers, the Bears can secure a playoff spot this upcoming week, but only if the Detroit Lions can lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. So yes, that means rooting for Aaron Rodgers next Sunday.
If those two games go in Chicago’s way, the Bears will be locked into the playoffs but still have much more to play for over the final two games to try and secure a top-four seed or even the No. 1 seed. With two more wins over the final three weeks, the Bears can clinch the NFC North as well.
While it wasn’t widely expected going into the season, it’s getting closer to being a reality, and the Bears have proved they can be a legit threat in the NFC, saying they can get in.
“I think we’re ready,” quarterback Caleb Williams said. “We’ve played teams that have a bunch of wins. We’ve played teams that don’t. We’ve played close games. We’ve played games where we’ve beaten teams by a lot. We’ve played teams where we had to win with special teams, offense, defense, running the ball. I feel that we’re ready for just about anything, hot weather, cold weather, whatever the case may be. We’re going to go out there and fight. I do know that. I like our chances, us versus anybody.”
Chicago Bears News
Bears take care of business in Week 15 and put themselves back where they want to be going into a defining final stretch of the season
The Bears are closing in on a playoff spot.
