Ben Johnson preached for weeks that the Bears needed 11 wins to make the playoffs.
Saturday they got their 11th win. Sunday they got into the playoffs.
“That was Step 1,” Johnson said Monday, abut 18 hours after the Lions’ loss put the Bears into the postseason for the first time in five years. “Step 2 is we want to win this division — we want to have at least one home playoff game. And then Step 3 would be clinch a No. 1 seed.”
The Bears — who technically can finish as high as the top seed or as low as No. 7 — want to put themselves in position to win an NFC, and even an NFL, that’s as wide-open as it’s been in years. That task becomes a lot easier if the Bears properly jockey for position the final two weeks of the season.
The Bears take the NFC North if they win at least one more game — or if the Packers lose at least one more. That could happen before the Bears next take the field — the Packers, who have two injured quarterbacks, play the Ravens on Saturday.
If the Bears lose out and the Packers win out, though, the Packers would take the division and the Bears would likely end up as the seventh seed, playing on the road in either Green Bay or Philadelphia.
Only division champions can be seeded in the top four, and winning the NFC North would lock the Bears into no worse than the No. 3 seed. Even if they lose to the 49ers on Sunday night, they’d still have a chance to clinch the No. 2 seed by winning at home Week 18 against the Lions.
To be the top overall seed, the Bears need to win out and have the Seahawks lose at least once.
“There’s a lot of things still out there to play for,” Johnson said. “Our guys know that. … Not a whole lot needs to be said about it, but those goals are still out there, and we continue pressing forward.”
The No. 1 seed gets a first-round bye and hosts throughout the conference playoffs. The No. 2 seed, which must be given to a divisional champion, hosts in at least Rounds 1 and 2.
Johnson sees playing at home — and the weather and atmosphere that comes with it — as a distinct advantage.
“I felt that crowd, and I was so blown away by the impact that they had on Saturday night that I think that we all want to be playing a playoff game in front of them so they can have that same impact there,” Johnson said. “That’s going to be our focus. We’ve got to win this division or earn that right to play a home playoff game. We have a chance to do that over the next couple of games.”
Winning the division and playing at least one home game has been a harbinger of success. Since the Packers beat the Bears at Soldier Field to win the NFC championship at the end of the 2010 season, only one wild card team has reached the Super Bowl — the 2020 Buccaneers, who defeated the Chiefs.
“Getting that momentum from the home crowd, and just hearing how loud it is, it’s definitely in your favor,” linebacker Tremaine Edumunds said. “So if guys just take what they took from the game on Saturday, they will know exactly what it’s going to feel like having a home playoff game here. I could imagine it will be even louder.”
The Bears “have bigger things we’re trying to do, as far as placement and seedings” the next two weeks, said Edmunds, who appeared in eight playoff games over four seasons with the Bills
“Everybody talks about ‘Super Bowl, Super Bowl,’ but you have to be able to get into the dance first to even have Super Bowl talks,” he said. “Being able to punch our ticket to even have a chance to bring that trophy home is something that is very important to us.
“Even with that talk … you have two important games coming up that will shape up how that will even go in general.”
There are no monoliths in this year’s NFL. The No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Broncos, lost to the Jaguars at home by 14 on Sunday. The Patriots, the only other AFC team to clinch a playoff berth, have a loss to the two-win Raiders on their resume.
Five NFC teams have already qualified, led by the Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold, who had an interception, a fumble and a 77.6 passer rating last year in his only playoff appearance. The Bears have already beaten the Eagles, who have beaten the Rams. The 49ers are due up Sunday.
If the Bears’ season thus far has been any indication, the finish will be tight. That’s what Johnson was thinking Sunday as he watched the Lions, his former team, have two touchdowns wiped out in the final minute of a loss to the Steelers that got the Bears into the playoff.
“That’s this league, right?” he said. “I mean, that’s what makes it so much fun to watch.”