Playoff Picture: Bears seek playoff clincher and division championship against the Packers
What a day it could be for the Bears Sunday when they host the Packers at Soldier Field. They could clinch a playoff birth and an NFC North Division Championship.
To lock down that playoff spot all the Bears need to do is win or have the Redskins lose.
To wrap up the division, again the Bears are in control of that. They can achieve that by beating the Packers or with a Vikings loss or if the Bears tie the Packers and the Vikings tie the Dolphins. The Bears haven’t won a division championship since 2010.
The Packers and the Bears have the longest rivalry in the NFL dating back to 1921, but it’s been pretty much all Packers in recent seasons. They’ve won the last five meetings and nine of the last ten.
The Packers won the first matchup this season. That was at Lambeau Field on opening night. Khalil Mack had a huge debut for the Bears that night. He had a sack, a forced fumble and a pick-six. He helped the Bears jump out to a 20-0 lead in the third quarter.
Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of that game with a knee injury in the second quarter, but he returned in the fourth to throw three touchdown passes and lead the Packers to a 24-23 comeback win. It was a crushing loss for the Bears. They want to avenge that. The Packers are the only team within the division whom the Bears haven’t beaten this season.
The Bears’ defense overwhelmed the Rams last Sunday night. They’ll have a chance for a similar performance this week because the Packers’ offensive line is banged up. The Packers have allowed 41 sacks this season. Can Rodgers be nimble enough on his feet to extend plays against this Bears’ defense?
The Bears’ biggest issue going into this game is Mitch Trubisky. He’s coming off a terrible performance against the Rams. He was intercepted three times and he was off-target several other times. He admits he’d didn’t do his job and he knows he can play better.
It’ll be a noon kickoff at Soldier Field Sunday. We’ll see if the Bears will indeed be celebrating a division crown and a trip to the playoffs.