The Bears are in.
At 11-4, they secured their playoff spot by beating the Packers 22-16 in overtime on Saturday and getting help from an old nemesis as Aaron Rodgers led the Steelers to a 29-24 win over the Lions in Detroit. Any Lions loss or tie over the final three weeks would’ve guaranteed the Bears a postseason berth.
The Lions aren’t eliminated at 8-7, but no longer are a concern for the Bears. Detroit instead is taking aim at the 9-5-1 Packers.
The Bears would clinch the NFC North with a win or a Packers loss in the final two weeks. The Bears finish at the 49ers on Sunday and home against the Lions in the final weekend. The Lions are at the Vikings on Thursday, while the Packers host the Ravens on Saturday and end the regular season at the Vikings.
A division title would give the Bears a home game in the first round of the playoffs. They’re still in contention for the No. 1 seed, currently held by the Seahawks at 12-3, which comes with a first-round bye.
The Bears hadn’t made the playoffs since sneaking in as the seventh seed at 8-8 in 2020. They’ve reached the postseason just six times in the last 30 seasons and haven’t won a playoff game since the 2010 team beat the Seahawks in the divisional round.
The Lions’ loss vaults the Bears into the postseason.
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Williams isn’t perfect, but he has some assets that simply can’t be taught. Johnson will handle the rest, though it’ll take more than one season to sharpen Williams’ command of the offense.
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Walker, who had no career targets before Saturday, caught a six-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter against the Packers to force overtime.
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