Bears Fan Guide: Wildcard Weekend

The Bears didn't just earn themselves a weekend off by winning the second seed in the NFC North. They gave the fans a weekend off, too. If you've been putting off that nice little day of Bed, Bath and Beyond and the Home Depot -- only if you have time -- this is probably the time to do it. But if you're going to avoid housework and still enjoy football -- good choice -- here's what to watch for.

NFC -- 5. Saints at 4. Seahawks (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. NBC) -- If the Packers beat the Eagles, the Bears will get the winner of this game. Seattle, the winner of the hapless NFC West, will host the Saints. There is no good reason for the Seahawks to win this game, but in this bizarro NFL season, expect for it to happen. Watch to see if Drew Brees and the offense can right their course from the last four games. Brees has thrown six interceptions and been sacked six times. For halftime fun, try to figure out why the Saints -- who not only beat the Seahawks but had a better regular season record than Seattle -- had to travel to Seattle for this game.

AFC -- 6. Jets at 3. Colts (Saturday, 7 p.m. NBC) and 5. Ravens at 4. Chiefs (Sunday, Noon, CBS) -- The Bears would only meet up with one of these teams if they make it to the Super Bowl. Still, watch to see if the Jets' defense has improved since they gave up 38 points to the Bears, or they'll fail to stop the Colts high-powered offense. In Sunday game, watch to see if the the vaunted Ravens D can stop Dwayne Bowe and the Chiefs. Plus, if you focus really hard on your television screen, you can smell the barbecue from outside Arrowhead Stadium.

NFC -- 6. Packers at 3. Eagles (Sunday, 3:30 p.m, FOX)
-- This is the most important game to the Bears. If the Eagles win, they're headed to Chicago, while if the Packers win, they're Atlanta-bound. The Packers are on a hot streak, heading into Philly with wins over the Giants and Bears in their last two games of the season. Meanwhile, the Eagles lost their last two games, giving up the first-round bye to the Bears along the way. If the Packers D who held the Bears to three points shows up, Michael Vick and Co. are in trouble.

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