Here’s the thing. NFL players aren’t stupid. They seem all the same things happening that fans do. They have all the same senses of where a season is trending, good or bad. They just won’t say such things openly to the public because that’s just not what you do. When you’re winning, you stay humble. When you’re losing, you stay hopeful. In reality though? Most Chicago Bears players likely see the same big picture the fans do.
This game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday will likely determine their season. At 5-5, the Bears are clinging to the #8 spot in the NFC standings. Just one spot out of 7th place in the playoff picture. So they’re still “in the hunt” as people love to say. However, that job gets exponentially harder if they lose at Lambeau Field. Not only would they fall to 5-6, but also 1-2 in the division. Basically, they’d have to go 5-0 the rest of the way to have any reasonable chance of making the postseason.
Defensive lineman Brent Urban understands they can let it get to that point.
Brent Urban looks to the Bears' opportunity Sunday night at Green Bay: "If we hit this game, we have all the momentum in the world to keep it rolling. Coming off the bye, everybody's feeling great, ready to go. We just got to get this one. This is our biggest game of the season."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) November 27, 2020
What he says is totally true. If the Bears win, it’ll be their first against Green Bay since the end of 2018. It will push them to 6-5 and just one game behind the Packers in the NFC North. From there the rest of the schedule doesn’t look daunting at all. The next four games are against Detroit, Minnesota, Houston, and Jacksonville. All teams with losing records.
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The next two games would be at home. Not only that, but Sunday will be their last primetime game as well. The rest will be noon start times the rest of the way. It is a premium opportunity to build some momentum. Can they pull it off?
Chicago Bears need something out of the offense
Not only because the defense will have to face Aaron Rodgers, but also because they might be doing so short-handed. They did receive the good news that Eddie Jackson is coming off the COVID-19 list. He’ll play in the game. At the same time, star defensive end Akiem Hicks is still battling the hamstring injury he suffered against Minnesota. He’s yet to practice this week.
Asking this banged up and overworked unit to hold Green Bay to 20 points or less is a bit much. If the Bears have any hope of winning, it’ll require an unexpected appearance from the offense. One that has looked entirely lifeless for months. They can’t run the ball. The offensive line is leaky in pass protection and now Nick Foles is injured.
This means Mitch Trubisky will make his return for the first time since September.
It is hoped his mobility can give the offense a bit of a spark, easing pressure on the offensive line. He may even come back with a chip on his shoulder. Anxious to prove something. That might be asking a lot but it’s all the Chicago Bears have at this point. It feels like a lot of jobs will be on the line in this game. If they lose? Some big decisions could soon follow.