Who’s afraid of the big, bad…
Seahawks?
Packers?
Eagles?
Not really. As the Bears head toward the playoffs, the field is wide open.
There is no juggernaut. Any opponent like the Chiefs’ dynasty teams, the Eagles’ recent loaded rosters or the Rams when Aaron Donald led their defense would’ve been a certain dead end, but that roadblock doesn’t exist this season. It’s perfect timing for an upstart.
In the craziest of Bears seasons, the craziest part is that the idea of going to the Super Bowl isn’t so crazy.
They’re far from the favorite — in the NFC, the Rams, Seahawks, Eagles, 49ers and Packers all have better betting odds — but there’s no playoff matchup in which they’d be overwhelmed.
The Bears’ chances would improve if they secure some home games. Heading into their game Sunday against the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, the site of the upcoming Super Bowl, they’re atop the NFC North and in the No. 2 seed. That would guarantee a home game to open another if they advance and put them in line to host the conference title game if No. 1 falls.
They would clinch that with one win or one Packers loss over the final two weeks. The Bears close at home against the Lions, while the Packers host the Ravens on Saturday, then visit the Vikings.
To overtake the top-seeded Seahawks for a first-round bye, the Bears must win out and Seattle lose to the Panthers and 49ers.
Regardless, these playoffs are a free-for-all.
The Rams, the betting favorite, sit fifth in the NFC. The Seahawks have a formidable defense and have a vaunted home-field advantage, but quarterback Sam Darnold has never won a playoff game. The Bears bullied the defending champion Eagles and beat the Packers within the past month.
In the AFC, the top-seeded Broncos are depending on quarterback Bo Nix, who is behind the Bears’ Caleb Williams in passer rating. The Patriots are 12-3, but have played the weakest schedule in the league. The Chargers are behind the Bears in betting odds.
The stage is set for chaos, which happens to be the Bears’ specialty.
Williams can launch an incredible pass at any moment. The defense is a turnover magnet. Coach Ben Johnson has absurd trick plays in his pocket. They’ve set an NFL record by pulling out six wins in which they trailed in the final two minutes, doing so on everything from a blocked field goal to a touchdown bomb in overtime.
“We’ve played teams where we had to win with special teams, offense, defense, running the ball — whatever the case,” Williams said. “I like our chances versus anybody.”
Most Bears haven’t been here before, but they have enough who have in veterans Joe Thuney, Kevin Byard, Grady Jarrett and others. They know anything can happen once a team is “in the tournament” as Johnson calls it.
Byard helped spark the Titans’ dramatic turnaround early in his career, and they caught fire in the second half of 2019 to claim a wild-card spot and storm all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
“It’s all about getting hot at the right time, and obviously, we’ve been playing really good ball,” Byard said. “It’s about continuously getting better and not resting on what we’ve done.”
Any number of things could ignite that kind of run for the Bears. There’s a sense that Williams’ breakthrough could happen any minute. Johnson has made all the right moves. Their defense has gotten key pieces back from injuries.
So bring on the craziness. The Bears can handle it.