A strong debate is raging among fans and experts about what the Chicago Bears should do on Sunday in the regular season finale. Some believe head coach Ben Johnson has little to gain at this point aside from determining the #2 or #3 seed. Keeping his top players healthy is more important. He should focus on resting key guys and having them ready for the playoffs. Others feel the #2 seed is more than valuable enough to keep chasing, not to mention the desire to avoid a two-game losing streak going into the tournament.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune spoke to people around the NFL about it. They seem to agree that Johnson is doing the right thing by going for the win against the Detroit Lions. The reasoning isn’t just about getting that extra guaranteed home game. It is also about determining who they play in the wild card round.
“I’d rather play Green Bay because they’re beat up,” a pro scout for another club said Sunday night. “No Micah Parsons. Is Love going to be back? They were in tatters against Baltimore. Those NFC West clubs, especially L.A. and San Francisco, they’ve got quarterbacks (Matthew Stafford and Brock Purdy) plus Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. I wouldn’t want to see either one of them right off the bat.”
It’s an interesting point. San Francisco has already shown that they can score basically at will against Chicago. Los Angeles has a much better defense, complemented by a loaded passing attack. The Bears also already know they can beat Green Bay.
Ben Johnson knows they must beat four good teams regardless.
If they want to win a championship, it will take four victories against opponents who are all capable of making a run. That is what the playoffs are about. Determining who the best of the best is. However, there is something to be said for momentum. Winning that first game is arguably as important as the last. Many good teams have entered the postseason with impressive records but have faltered down the stretch. As a result, they came out flat in the opener and were quickly eliminated. The Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 are a perfect example. They started 10-1, lost five of their last six, and were crushed by Tampa Bay in the wild card round.
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Ben Johnson has no intention of letting that happen. He has plenty of incentives to go for the win against his former team this weekend. The Chicago Bears can secure an extra home game, chase 4,000 yards for Caleb Williams, and set up a rematch with a Packers team that is clearly floundering. Remember, the Bears are 6-1 at home this season. Wanting to secure two guaranteed games at Soldier Field is plenty logical, regardless of who it’s against.
