4 challenges standing in the way of the Chicago Bears making the playoffs

The Chicago Bears are not in control of their playoff destiny.

The Bears have a shot to make the playoffs and get the No .1 overall pick. They probably have a better chance of landing the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row because the Carolina Panthers are horrible.

They need to win out and get a lot of help to make the playoffs. The path get there includes an impact on that No. 1 overall pick as Carolina is involved. We will get to that shortly.

According to CBS Sports’ Douglas Clawson, the Bears need the Vikings to go 1-3 down the stretch while the Packers, Seahawks, Rams, Buccaneers, Falcons, and Saints go 2-2.

They also need the Giants to lose at least one more game. Although, that should not be too hard as they still have to play the Philadelphia Eagles two more times.

The math says there is a 1.2% chance of all of this happening.

Let’s take a look at how hard this will be to pull off with the final remaining games for all those teams…

Minnesota Vikings

• at Cincinnati
• vs. Detroit
• vs. Green Bay
• at Detroit

There is an opportunity for the Vikings to go 0-4. The Bengals might not be dead as quarterback Jake Browning has been playing well since taking over for the injured Joe Burrow. The Lions and Packers could all pick up victories over their division rivals.

Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs has been terrible lately. The problem is the Vikings still find ways to win. They just beat the Raiders by scoring just a field goal. The Lions have been looking very beatable lately, but they are still extremely talented. They are in first place for a reason.

You factor in all of this and there is a reasonable chance of the Vikings going 2-2 down the stretch.

Green Bay Packers

• vs. Tampa
• at Carolina
• at Minnesota
• vs. Chicago

The Packers can help add losses to the Vikings and the Buccaneers as they still have matchups with those two teams. They also have to face the Panthers, so that can help the Bears’ odds for the No. 1 pick.

To go 1-3, it means they have to lose to the Panthers and Bears and split with either the Vikings or Tampa. The Panthers are so bad that it is doubtful the Pack loses. Then again, they just lost to the Giants. The Packers losing to Tampa also removes a defeat the Bucs need to take for the Bears’ playoff hopes.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• at Green Bay
• vs. Jacksonville
• vs. New Orleans
• at Carolina

The Packers and Bucs game has already been discussed. The Bears do not want the Panthers to win if they want to secure the No. 1 pick. That means the Jaguars and the Saints need to beat Tampa. That is possible, so there is a good chance Tampa can go 1-3.

New Orleans Saints

• vs. New York Giants
• at Los Angeles Rams
• at Tampa
• vs. Atlanta

The Giants are riding high with Tommy Devito at quarterback.
It is still hard to see them going to the Superdome and winning.

The Saints have to beat Tampa to help the Bears’ playoff odds. That means the need to lose to either the Rams or the Falcons. That takes away a possible chance for those teams to lose games the Bears need them to have to sneak into the playoffs.

It is really hard to see the Saints going 1-3 down the stretch, but they evenly match up with the Rams, Tampa, and Atlanta.

Atlanta Falcons

• at Carolina
• vs. Indianapolis
• at Chicago
• at New Orleans

Another team the Chicago Bears needs to beat the Panthers to help their chances of getting the No. 1 pick. The Bears need the Falcons to beat the Saints. That means Chicago has to take care of business at Soldier Field and the Colts have to beat the Falcons to have them reach 2-2.

1-3 is fathomable, but that means the Saints or Carolina win in that instance. That does not help the Bears in either instance.

Los Angeles Rams

• vs. Washington
• vs. New Orleans
• at the New York Giants
• at San Francisco

Washington has to travel out to the West Coast. They are terrible, so that is a win for the Rams. Beating the Saints helps, but it means the Rams get a win and vice-versa.

The Rams have to travel to the East Coast to face the Giants. Plus, the Giants need to win out like the Bears, so you got a shot for a defeat.

The 49ers are a juggernaut, but they could be resting players. That is why these final four games heavily favor the Rams going 3-1.

Seattle Seahawks

• vs. Philadelphia
• at Tennessee
• vs. Pittsburgh
• at Arizona

Philadelphia got pummeled by the Dallas Cowboys and they have to travel to the West Coast. The Eagles still find ways to win against teams that are not the Cowboys. You have to like Philly’s chances. Going to Tennessee is not going to be easy either as they are riding high after beating Miami.

Pittsburgh is awful with Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback. Arizona is probably going to have the cars warming up to get out of town.

Geno Smith is injured so that helps. There is a good chance Seattle can go 2-2.

If your head has stopped spinning by now, you can see there is a chance for everything the Bears need to happen to make the playoffs. It is just really hard for it to become a reality.