There’s no getting around the reality that the Chicago Bears are having a stellar season, and they’re NFL darlings going into their Week 14 game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, December 7. The Bears are No. 1 in the NFC North and the greater NFC, while the Packers are No. 2 in the NFC North, so this is a critical game for both teams.
The Minnesota Vikings are out of the playoffs, but the Detroit Lions still have a chance. The Lions had a critical game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, December 4, and it was make-or-break for their chances to make the playoffs. For Detroit, before the game, the Lions had a 30 % chance of making the postseason, according to Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. Winning would take their chances up to 45 percent, while losing would have cut it to 12 percent.
For Dallas, the Cowboys had a 23 percent chance of making the playoffs heading into the game, with a win bringing them a 41 percent chance and a loss dropping them to single digits at nine percent.
How the Detroit Lions Game Impacts the Chicago Bears
The Lions won, 44-30, and that win is a mixed bag for the Chicago Bears. On one hand, it helped the Bears by hurting the Cowboys, a wild-card contender, but it also made the race for the top of the NFC North tighter. With this win, the Lions moved closer to second-place in the NFC North, coming up closely on the Packers. It puts more pressure on the Bears to beat the Packers.
If the Cowboys had won, it would have strengthened another possible NFC wild-card or division-leading franchise. The Cowboys’ playoff odds would have gone up, giving the Bears more competition to get those wild-card spots.
So, overall, the Lions’ win makes the competition for the division title tougher. But, at the same time, it means the Bears will have to worry less about having competition from the Cowboys for a wild-card spot. Either way, the Bears and Lions are scheduled to play each other in Week 18, and that game may decide the NFC North title or a playoff slot.
D’Andre Swift of the Chicago Bears Gets Honored
On Wednesday, December 3, running back D’Andre Swift was been named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. During the Bears’ win over the Eagles, Swift and Monangai rushed for 255 yards, according to NFL research. Swift, who has clocked 774 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 11 games this season, is a big part of the Chicago Bears’ 9-3 record.
This is the first time Swift has won the FedEx Ground Player of the Week award, and it’s the first time a Chicago Bears player has scored the honor since Khalil Herbert in Week 16 of the 2023 season. Also, quarterback Caleb Williams got the FedEx Air Player of the Week back in Week 3 after his performance against the Dallas Cowboys. The FedEx Air Player of the Week was Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who the Bears will face on Sunday.
“Just really proud of everybody involved,” Chicago Bears Ben Johnson said after the win over the Eagles. “Short week, we really haven’t had one of those yet as a team. I thought the coaching staff did a great job putting a sound plan together.”
So, the Chicago Bears are on top of the NFL world. But, their path just got a little more difficult.
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