Bounce-back Bears on verge of making franchise history

The Chicago Bears are on the verge of doing something for the first time in franchise history. And beating one of the NFL’s oldest franchises will go a long way toward erasing the ancient record.

If Ben Johnson’s team can avoid Sunday’s “trap game” scenario against the lowly 3-10 Cleveland Browns and take care of business, it will improve its odds of making the playoffs to 72 percent. An upset loss, however, would drop their chances to less than even 50/50, to 47 percent.

Just to be knocking on the door of the playoffs would be a remarkable achievement for a Bears team that suffered a 10-game losing streak last season in route to a 5-12 record. But climbing out of an 0-2 hole would be even more remarkable.

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Of the 27 Bears all-time teams to make the playoffs, none of them started their season 0-2. By making the playoffs, they would make franchise history.

The Bears lost their first two games of the season, in ugly fashion to the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. Since then they are 9-2.

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The last time the Bears failed to win at least one of their first two games and still make the playoffs was a season capped by a touchdown pass from Bronko Nagurski to Red Grange. Seriously, almost 100 years ago. Something that’s never been done in Bears’ history, and forever being linked to the 1932 squad that began its season a wonky 0-0-3 with three scoreless ties. It was so long ago that the players wore – optional – leather helmets, quarterback Keith Molesworth completed 25 passes the entire season, the defense allowed only 44 points in 14 games and the championship game was played on a makeshift, 80-yard, dirt “field” inside old Chicago Stadium.