The Chicago Bears playoff picture isn’t set in stone just yet. These next two games still hold some importance. While they hold firmly to the #3 seed, the #2 and even #1 spots could be up for grabs depending on how the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams finish the season. If one or both were to lose their remaining games and the Bears won out, they’d have homefield advantage.
Or if the Rams were to lose just one more game and the Bears won out they’d get the #2 seed and a first round bye. That being said, expectations are that the top three spots are virtually set in stone with the Saints being #1 and Rams being #2. Chicago will sit tight at #3 unless they lose their remaining two games and the Cowboys manage to win out, in which case they’d drop to the #4 spot.
As things stand though, it feels like #3 is where they’ll stay according to the experts. Most expectations have them beating the 49ers this Sunday before dropping the finale in Minnesota. That was assured that spot. So this begs the question. Looking ahead to January, who could they end up playing?
Plenty of questions have flown around about who the Bears do or don’t want to see. So it felt like the perfect time to assess the likely opponents they could face and then rank them by threat level.
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Low: Washington Redskins
It’s amazing that this team is still alive given the brutal number of injuries they’ve suffered. Not only did they lose quarterback Alex Smith to a broken leg, but his backup Colt McCoy as well. Josh Johnson, whom they scooped off the street, has managed to navigate the team to a hard-fought win the last week. Much of that is thanks to the presence of a resurgent Adrian Peterson and a tough defense.
While it’ll be fun if they somehow reach the playoffs their good time will end in Chicago. Johnson has failed to top 200 yards passing in either of his games so far. The Bears have the #2 run defense in the NFL, so any idea that Peterson will get going is remote as well. At that point, the only way the Bears lose is if they start turning the ball over on offense.
Regardless, the Redskins play Tennessee and Philadelphia the final two weeks. The odds they can win both games? Minimal.
Medium: Minnesota Vikings
Divisional games are always unpredictable by their very nature. The two teams know each other so well. If the Vikings get in as most expect they will, then it will mark the third time in the space of a month that the two teams have collided in a football game with each likely claiming a victory. Minnesota will also have a considerable advantage in experience as they’ve made the playoffs two of the past three seasons.
They still have that great defense and seem to have rediscovered their running game too. That said, the Bears have reason to feel confident. They’ll be at Soldier Field and the odds are it will be a lot colder than the balmy 33-degree evening the Vikings enjoyed during their last visit. Then there’s Kirk Cousins.
Put simply the guy doesn’t have a history of performing in big games. Their last meeting proved that. His only playoff start saw him throw for 369 yards but he was dropped for six sacks and fumbled three times.
Medium: Seattle Seahawks
The Bears took care of their business the last time they played the Seahawks but both teams have changed since then. Seattle seems to have found a groove with an opportunistic young defense mixed with Russell Wilson making all sorts of key plays. They’ve also rediscovered their desire to run the football more.
They also have done a good job of protecting him after a disastrous start to the season. Pete Caroll is an excellent coach who always has his team prepared and the prior experience in Chicago will provide him an advantage in terms of finding ways to attack in a rematch. However, there’s one problem.
Seattle simply isn’t as good. This isn’t the talent-rich roster they had five years ago. It’s a strong core of guys from that era like Wilson, Doug Baldwin, and Bobby Wagner surrounded by a group of high-effort guys. The Bears are a better team than they were back in September. If they play like it, they should win this game.
High: Philadelphia Eagles
Given how their season has gone, it might be difficult for many to accept that the Eagles are the biggest threat. Then again, they so easily forget the facts. Philadelphia is the defending Super Bowl champion. That will remain the truth until they’re eliminated from contention, which hasn’t happened. Not only that, but they seem to be finding their groove.
They’ve won three of their past four games and just got done beating the heavily favored Rams in Los Angeles. Backup Nick Foles, the reigning Super Bowl MVP is back under center and the offense put up 30 points for the first time since that victory back in February. Don’t get fooled by looking at their 7-7 record. It’s all about which team is the hottest at the right time.
They still have a boatload of veteran talent on their roster. Men who know what it takes to up their game in the playoffs. This is a team that roughed up the Bears last year 31-3. Sure Chicago is a much better team this time but it’s still a tough matchup. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, the Eagles came into Soldier Field and beat them.
