The Chicago Bears firmly control their playoff fate toward the final week of the regular season. If Chicago wins Week 17, it will be the postseason for the first time since 2018.
But it won’t be an easy task, especially with the Bears welcoming the Green Bay Packers to Soldier Field, where Chicago needs to win to secure better in the postseason. It will be the Bears or the Arizona Cardinals, possibly both, who will make the postseason when the last week of the regular season is over.
Here are three scenarios that must happen for the Bears to reach the playoff position in Week 17.
Scenario no. 1: The Bears defeated the Packers
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Result: the bears reach seed number 6 or number 7
It’s simple enough: if the Bears win, they’re there. Although a win can make Chicago the sixth or seventh head depending on how things are done next Sunday. But, as Bears fans know, nothing has been easy with this team. And it gets even more complicated when it comes to the Packers, a team that has had the Chicago number one for most of a decade. The Bears can’t allow the Packers to win that game in the first quarter, like in their previous meeting four weeks ago. If Chicago wants to make the playoffs, it has to take matters into its own hands. And that means taking out the final discomfort against his Goliath.
Scenario no. 2: Bears lose with the Packers and Cardinals lose with the Rams
Rob Schumacher-Republic of Arizona
Result: the bears reach seed number 7
Chicago can still make the postseason if they lose next Sunday against Green Bay, but it’s not ideal to leave your luck in the hands of another team. Especially one that could be without its starting quarterback. If the Los Angeles Rams found a way to beat the Cardinals, the Bears would continue to make the playoffs with a loss to the Packers. It sounds like the most realistic scenario of the three, given Chicago’s struggles against Green Bay. But with Rams quarterback Jared Goff, potentially offside with a broken thumb, it’s not a favorable situation for the Bears.
Scenario no. 3: The Bears beat the Packers and the Cardinals beat the Rams
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Result: the bears reach seed number 6
Believe it or not, there is a scenario where Chicago could end up at No. 6 in the NFC. But if the Bears can beat the Packers and the Cardinals win the Rams next Sunday, Chicago would get the No. 6 seed with Arizona closing out the No. 7 seed and the Rams would be kicked out of the playoffs photography all together.