The Chicago Bears are coming off a dominant Week 15 win, but don’t let that lopsided score fool you - the real drama is just getting started. All eyes now turn to Green Bay. It’s Packers week again, and with the NFC North hanging in the balance, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Yes, the Bears are sitting atop the division after the Packers stumbled against the Broncos. But with three games left, the playoff picture is anything but settled. In fact, even if the Bears take care of business and beat the Packers in Week 16, there’s still a very real scenario where they miss the postseason entirely.
Let’s break it down.
How the Bears Could Miss the Playoffs - Even With a Win Over Green Bay
First, the Lions would need to run the table. Their final stretch?
Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and a potentially winner-take-all showdown with the Bears in Week 18. On paper, Detroit has the firepower to handle the Steelers and Vikings.
If they do, that Week 18 matchup at Soldier Field could decide everything.
Next, the Bears would need to drop their final two games - a tough ask considering who’s on the schedule. First up: the 49ers.
San Francisco is deep in the playoff hunt and playing with urgency. Kyle Shanahan’s squad is physical, creative, and flat-out dangerous.
Then comes the Lions - a team the Bears know all too well and one that would love nothing more than to spoil Chicago’s postseason hopes.
Lastly, Green Bay would have to bounce back and win out. That means taking down the Ravens and Vikings.
Baltimore won’t be an easy out - Lamar Jackson is in MVP form, and the Ravens are fighting for AFC playoff positioning. But if the Packers can navigate that, they’d close the season with a divisional game against Minnesota, a team they know how to beat.
So, to recap the doomsday scenario:
- Lions win out (vs.
Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears)
- Bears lose final two (at 49ers, vs.
Lions)
- Packers win final two (at Ravens, vs.
Vikings)
If that happens, the Bears - even with a win over the Packers - are on the outside looking in.
That’s how razor-thin the margins are in the NFC right now. Head coach Ben Johnson has been preaching it all season: one game at a time.
And he’s not wrong. Nine wins won’t cut it.
Ten might not either. The Bears need to keep stacking wins, because the conference is simply too crowded to coast.
Why the Packers Game Still Matters - A Lot
Sure, the Bears could beat Green Bay and still miss the playoffs. But that doesn’t mean this game doesn’t matter. In fact, it might be the most important game of the season to date - not just because of the standings, but because of what it represents.
This is the Packers. This is the rivalry. And this is a chance to take a massive step toward locking in a playoff spot while knocking your biggest rival further out of the picture.
Beyond that, it’s about momentum. If the Bears are going to make a run, they’ll need to be playing their best football down the stretch. That starts with a statement win in Green Bay.
And let’s be honest - if the Bears do end up needing to beat the Lions in Week 18 to get in, they’ll want to go into that game with confidence, rhythm, and belief. That all starts in Week 16.
The Bigger Picture
This is what December football is all about. Every snap matters.
Every possession could shift the playoff landscape. The Bears have a shot - but it’s not a guarantee.
Not yet.
The path forward is clear: beat the Packers, then hold serve against two of the NFC’s toughest teams. It’s a gauntlet, no doubt. But if the Bears want to prove they belong in the postseason, this is the kind of stretch they have to survive.
Packers week is always big. This year, it’s massive.
And if it all comes down to Week 18 in Chicago against Detroit? Well, that might just be the most electric game the Bears have played in years.