The Chicago Bears clinched their first playoff berth since 2020 just a few weeks ago. The following week, they clinched their first NFC North division title since 2018. In what has already been a memorable season in the Windy City, these Bears still have one more thing to play for, something that can make this team's path to the Super Bowl as ideal as possible: The No. 2 overall seed in the NFC.
After an odds-defying regular season, Chicago can clinch the 2nd overall seed in the NFC in Week 18 in one of two ways. The first of those is straightforward. The Bears win their Week 18 matchup against the Detroit Lions, and they are locked in at No. 2. After an embarrassing 52-21 loss to the Lions in Week 2, Ben Johnson should be hungry to ensure the Bears don't fall short to his old team again, especially with so much on the line.
While Chicago would prefer not to rely on other teams to secure this spot, the Bears can also clinch the No. 2 seed with an Eagles loss to the Washington Commanders. This sounds highly unlikely, but Philly is resting its starters, so a Washington win is not completely out of the question.
Why the No. 2 Seed Is So Significant for Bears' Path to Super Bowl
Favorable matchups are to be had:
Starting with the obvious, Chicago inking themselves in as the No. 2 seed ensures two things: A Wild Card round matchup against the banged-up Green Bay Packers, and two guaranteed home playoff games (assuming they win in the Wild Card round). As the No. 2 seed, Chicago's second-round matchup would have a high chance of being the No. 3-seeded Eagles, a team that the Bears have shown they can handle. The Eagles would have a favorable matchup against both the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round, given that either West Coast team would have to play a road playoff game in Philadelphia against an Eagles team that, essentially, has a glorified bye week.
Avoid an NFC Championship Game in San Francisco:
The 49ers' Week 18 game against the Seattle Seahawks also has high implications for the Bears' path to the Super Bowl. A 49ers victory secures San Francisco the No. 1 seed, which would be a positive for the Bears in the sense that they'd be guaranteed not to play the Niners until the NFC Championship. At the same time, this is a negative in the sense that this hypothetical NFC Championship game would be played in San Francisco, not Chicago. If the Seahawks win, they secure the No. 1 seed, and the 49ers drop to what is likely to be the 6 seed, assuming the Rams handle business against the Cardinals.
Chicago Needs Home-Field Advantage as Long as Possible:
While these scenarios are fun and interesting to think about, the bottom line is that Chicago needs to beat Detroit Sunday afternoon. By doing so, more of these undesirable scenarios, such as playing a road playoff game in Philly, are eliminated. By securing the 2 seed, the Bears can ensure that even if they are faced with an undesirable divisional round opponent, it will at least be played on home turf at Soldier Field. With a first-year head coach at the helm, and a second-year QB in Caleb Williams under center, the Bears will gladly take any and all advantages that could come their way with a win on Sunday.