Mathematically speaking, the Bears have not been eliminated from the playoffs yet. The odds are stacked against them. Like, there’s a better chance of the Kennedy Expressway project finishing on time.
But there is still a chance. If you’d like to go down the wormhole to see how the Bears can punch their ticket to the postseason, you can check that out here. If you’re looking for the much more straightforward glass half-empty approach, however, look no further.
Here’s how the Bears can be eliminated from playoff contention this weekend.
OPTION ONE: BEARS LOSE
There are already seven teams with eight wins in the NFC, and just seven playoff spots, so the Bears will need to match that mark. They currently sit at 6-9, so if they lose to the Falcons on Sunday, they’ll max out at seven wins and fall short of catching the rest of the conference contenders.
OPTION TWO: RAMS WIN
Since the 49ers have already clinched the NFC West, the Rams (8-7) can only compete for a wild card spot. If the Rams win just one game over the next two weeks that will put them at nine wins and put the Bears out of reach of the No. 6 seed. That’s important, because if the Bears are left to fight with the Vikings or Packers for the No. 7 seed, they’ll lose out due to tiebreakers. And since the Vikings (7-8) and Packers (7-8) are playing each other this week, one of them is guaranteed to hit eight wins.
Chicago Bears
OPTION THREE: SEAHAWKS WIN
Same deal with the Rams in option two. They’re also at 8-7, so if they beat the Steelers this weekend, they’ll hit nine wins and the Bears out of the “In The Hunt” graphic.
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In short the Bears need to win out over the next two weeks and have the Rams and Seahawks lose out, just to be in the conversation for the playoffs. It can happen, but they’ll need some help.
