With the Bears’ Thanksgiving victory over the Lions, they improved to 6-6 on the season and kept their slim playoff hopes alive.
There’s a lot that needs to happen if the Bears are going to make a push for a Wild Card berth. First off, they essentially need to win out over these final four games, which include games against the Cowboys, Packers, Chiefs and Vikings.
Even if the Bears are able to do that, they’re going to need help from other NFC Wild Card hopefuls, most notably the Vikings and Rams, if they’re going to have a shot down the stretch in the fourth quarter of the season.
While the Bears need a lot of help, it’ll be good to see them playing meaningful football in December.
Here are four games that Bears fans should keep an eye on in the NFC playoff race:
Panthers (5-6) vs. Redskins (2-9)
This should be an easy conference matchup for the Panthers, who will face a struggling Redskins team led by Dwayne Haskins. Then again, the Panthers have lost four of their last five games.
The Bears currently hold an edge over the Panthers in terms of conference record, which means that even if they beat the Redskins they’ll sit behind Chicago after Week 13.
Eagles (5-6) vs. Dolphins (2-9)
You figure this is another easy matchup for a struggling Eagles team that needs a win, and Bears might want to root for the Eagles against the Dolphins.
In terms of the NFC East, if the Bears are able to beat the Cowboys on Thursday night, then Bears fans should root for the Eagles to win the division as Chicago would own the tiebreaker over Dallas. The Eagles beat the Bears 22-14 earlier this season.
Rams (6-5) vs. Cardinals (3-7-1)
The Bears know firsthand how wonky divisional games can be, and Chicago fans will certainly be rooting for a Cardinals upset of the Rams on Sunday.
This is another team that the Bears need some help from as the Rams own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Chicago following a Week 11 primetime win. If the Cardinals can beat the Rams, Los Angeles would drop to 6-6 and the Bears would be a half game out of that seventh Wild Card spot. The Rams will face the Seahawks, Cowboys, 49ers and Cardinals again in their final four games.
Vikings (8-3) vs. Seahawks (9-2)
This Monday Night Football showdown is certainly the most important game of the week as everyone in the NFC Wild Card race is chasing the Vikings. The NFC’s current wild card teams will face-off on the primetime stage, and Bears fans should be rooting heavily for the Seahawks.
The Bears currently own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vikings, and they’ll play them again in the regular-season finale. If everything goes Chicago’s way, that Week 17 contest could be a play-in for a Wild Card berth. The Bears would need the Vikings to lose three of their final five games, starting Monday night against Seattle.
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