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Let’s look at the playoffs and road to the postseason following the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers game.
It doesn’t get much bigger than seeing two NFC North rivals who are both at the top of the division going head-to-head, but that’s what happened on Saturday, December 20, when Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears took on the Green Bay Packers. Before the game, the two teams were neck-and-neck in the NFC North, with the Bears just a half-game ahead of the Packers.
What made the showdown even more dramatic is that the Bears just lost to the Packers on December 7, in a tight, 28-21 loss. So, this was a rematch for the books, and it delivered with fireworks and intense plays. Finally, after a tough game, the Bears pulled off an overtime victory, with a 22-16 final score, and that makes the Chicago Bears’ playoff shot very close.
After the Bears’ last loss to the Packers, Johnson expressed his frustration but remained positive. “Obviously when it comes down to the wire like that and you are on the losing side of it, it is disappointing, but a lot of credit to our guys in the second half there making it a game,” Johnson said at the time. “Down 14-3 at halftime and yet coming down to the last 30 seconds with the potential to tie that game up, or whether it is overtime, or go for the two-point (conversion).”
He added after that game, “So, it was really close at the end, but give a lot of credit to Green Bay. They made a couple more plays than us. Their offense was explosive. They found some big plays that resulted in touchdowns on us. Fortunately there in the second half our offense was able to find its footing a little bit both in the run game and the passing game. It felt like we had a bit of rhythm. We made it a game, but fell short at the end of the day.”
Chicago Bears Can Clinch a Playoff Spot This Weekend, But This Needs to Happen
Heading into the game on Saturday, December 20, according to NFL research, the Bears already had a 78% chance of making it to the postseason, and the Packers are at 87%. It was expected that if the Bears won, their chances would go up to 94%, depending on the Eagles game, and if they lost, it would go down to 59%.
Now that the game, along with the Eagles game, has wrapped, the Chicago Bears have a 94% chance of making the postseason. They can actually make the playoffs this weekend.
Now, it all rests on the Detroit Lions. If the Lions lose or tie their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, then the Bears will instantly be in the playoffs. So, it’s easy math to make the postseason in Week 16. But, even if Detroit wins, the Bears are in a fantastic position for Week 17.
Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears Talks Playoffs
Back in early December, even though the Bears were skyrocketing up the standings, Johnson didn’t crack a smile when talking about their playoff chances.
“We’ll be a playoff team once we earn enough wins to become a playoff team,” Johnson said after the team’s December 7 game. “Right now, we’re a nine-win team and I don’t think nine wins is going to get you in this year, so we’ve got to do what we can to get enough wins to get into the tournament.”
Things have chance a lot since that moment, but no matter how well the Bears do, Johnson has made it clear that he won’t rest easy until the Chicago Bears go all the way.
Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson
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