Chicago Bears are unlikely to get help from the Rams

The Chicago Bears will have to rely on themselves to make the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears enter Week 17 with a golden opportunity to make the playoffs, but they will likely have to rely on themselves to do so. The Bears received a huge gift from the San Francisco 49ers, who beat the Arizona Cardinals to put the Monsters of the Midway in control of their own destiny.

As a result, the Bears needed to win their final two games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers and they would earn a spot in the postseason. Well, after yesterday’s demolishing of the Jags, they are halfway towards that goal.

However, beating the Packers, even at home, will be a tall order, as they looked every part of the top seed in the NFC that they will be trying to hold onto next week.

There is, however, a scenario where the Bears lose to the Packers and still make the playoffs, and that would happen if the Cardinals lost next week to the Los Angeles Rams. Prior to yesterday, it seemed like the chances of that happening were pretty good.

But after the game, the Rams announced that Jared Goff suffered a thumb injury. Early reports were that it was dislocated, but the Rams fear he broke the thumb. Either way, it seems like a longshot that he will be able to suit up for the Rams this Sunday, though the team expects to know more in the next couple of days after the swelling subsides.

As it stands now, the Bears simply cannot count on a Cardinals’ loss and backing into the playoffs —  not that they were counting on that, but it’s always nice to have options. Rather, the Bears will need to exorcise their demons that have historically been the Green Bay Packers who will be motivated to earn the top overall seed. This is a good thing, as it will give the Bears a true test they can use as a measuring stick to evaluate whether this newfound offensive success is real.

Now, all eyes shift to Sunday and Soldier Field where the Bears will have to beat their rivals to truly earn a playoff spot. It’s everything a football fan should want.