Where Bears sit in NFC playoff picture after Week 12 win originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bears took a step towards an NFC playoff spot with a road victory over the hapless Lions in Week 12.
The win moved the Bears to 4-7 this season and has them tied with the New York Giants in the NFC playoff standings. Both teams currently sit a game behind the 5-6 Minnesota Vikings for the seventh and final NFC playoff spot.
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If the NFC playoffs began next week, the Bears would be far from the bracket. However, Minnesota's spot is hardly secure -- they are tied with the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints at 5-6. The Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers also remain in the mix at 5-7 -- a half-game better than Chicago and New York in the standings.
Elsewhere in the conference, the Arizona Cardinals were on a bye this weekend, but still are the top seed in the NFC and the conference with a 9-2 record.
The Seattle Seahawks (3-7) face the Washington Football Team (4-6) on Monday night in a contest that will further impact the Bears' playoff positioning heading into Week 13.
Check out the current playoff picture below after Sunday's games.
NFC Standings
Playoff picture
No. 1: Arizona Cardinals (9-2)
No. 2: Green Bay Packers (9-3)
No. 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3)
No. 4: Dallas Cowboys (7-4)
No. 5: Los Angeles Rams (7-4)
No. 6: San Francisco 49ers (6-5)
No. 7: Minnesota Vikings (5-6)
Outside looking in
No. 8: Atlanta Falcons (5-6)
No. 9: New Orleans Saints (5-6)
No. 10: Philadelphia Eagles (5-7)
No. 11: Carolina Panthers (5-7)
No. 12: Washington Football Team (4-6)
No. 13: New York Giants (4-7)
No. 14: Chicago Bears (4-7)
No. 15: Seattle Seahawks (3-7)
No. 16: Detroit Lions (0-10-1)