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Against all odds and close one-possession games, the Chicago Bears have improved to 5-1 on the season. And they’ve done it without even playing a complete game of football on all phases.
The Bears defense has found its groove — and the takeaways that eluded them this season — holding a surging Carolina Panthers offense to 16 points and forcing three turnovers.
But Chicago’s offense continues to struggle finding a rhythm, as the run game was once again abysmal and the passing game less-than-impressive. The Bears have a lot of work to do on offense if they hope to keep winning games — especially because the defense can’t be expected to be near flawless every week.
While there are definitely concerns about this Bears team through the first six weeks, they’ve continued to find ways to win in spite of those flaws. And while it’s too early to start talking playoffs, it’s hard not to wonder what the Bears’ 5-1 record says about their postseason chances.
Over the last 10 seasons, NFL teams that have started the season 5-1 have made the playoffs 90% of the time, which is definitely an encouraging sign for the Bears. Especially as they’re about to face arguably the toughest portion of their schedule over the next few weeks.
If the Bears had lost on Sunday, their playoff chances would’ve dropped to 69%.
#Bears have 90% chance of making the playoffs at 5-1 https://t.co/8k4WR6BNe8
— Alyssa Barbieri (@AlyssaBarbieri) October 19, 2020
The Bears were always going to have a favorable stretch at the start of the season. But they’re going to be tested in the second half of the year, where they’ll face seven playoff teams from a season ago, starting Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams.
The odds of making the postseason only get better for teams that start 6-1 — 95 percent — as the Bears have a chance to do against the Rams on Monday Night Football in Week 7.
