The Chicago Bears’ path to their first NFL playoff berth since 2020 is become clearer.
The NFL announced its official playoff scenarios Tuesday, and revealed that the 10-4 Bears can clinch a spot if either of the following happens in Week 16:
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CHI win + DET loss or tie OR
The Bears play the NFC North rival Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) on Saturday night at Soldier Field, in a game that also has division title implications. A Bears victory would put them two wins ahead of the Packers in the standings with two to play, while a loss would drop them behind Green Bay, which also would have the head-to-head tiebreaker with two wins over Chicago.
The Detroit Lions (8-6) will host the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, very much needing a win to maintain their playoff hopes. So, even if the Bears beat the Packers, they’ll likely have to sweat out a motivated Lions team’s effort at Ford Field.
Regardless of the scenarios, the Bears want to take care of business Saturday. If they lose, they’d face the inenviable task of needing one win, or perhaps both, against the San Francisco 49ers (10-4) and the Lions. The schedule makers certainly didn’t do Chicago any favors there.
Reaching the NFL playoffs is difficult, and the Bears will need to show their finishing touch this week and perhaps beyond to accomplish it.
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