Chicago Bears: Evaluating NFC Wildcard round with predictions
The Chicago Bears, deserving or not, are getting ready to take part in the NFC playoffs.
The Chicago Bears have stunningly made it to the playoffs. They are the seventh seed with an 8-8 record after having a roller coaster of a season. There have been issues with basically every facet of the game for this team but they are still getting an opportunity. The NFC is not very deep and that is why the Bears made it. They would have not even sniffed the playoffs if they were in the AFC but that is the way things shook out this year.
In Lovie Smith’s last season as Bears’ head coach, they went 10-6 and missed the playoff so water does level out. That doesn’t mean that they should feel good about their matchup against the New Orleans Saints. The Green Bay Packers have the first-round bye so the Saints, at number two, get the Bears. It is a nice test for the Bears but it doesn’t feel like they have a legit shot to win. You never know what happens but the Saints are better in pretty much every way.
The Green Bay Packers have one of the best records in the NFL as they went 13-3. That record was tied with the Buffalo Bills for the second-best record in the NFL. Only the 14-2 Chiefs had a better record by one game. The Packers drew that first-round bye by defeating the Bears and having one more win than the Saints.
Drew Brees certainly showed his age in 2020 but they have a great defense and a good running game. The game is on Sunday which could have Alvin Kamara clear his COVID-19 protocols and that would be a big problem for the Bears. They need to do as much as they can to keep their offense off the field and score some points themselves.
Even if the Bears somehow sneak past the Saints, the Packers would loom and we know how that would go. It would be the third time the teams meet which would most likely not fare well for the Bears. First, they need to try and deal with Drew Brees and the Saints which won’t be easy at all.