The Chicago Bears are hoping to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season, and they’re currently lined up for a tough postseason matchup.
The surging Bears have won seven of their last eight games, including a 19-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the Twin Cities.
The win was the first divisional triumph of Ben Johnson’s tenure with Chicago, and he’ll be hoping to ride that momentum into a really tough stretch of games that will feature three consecutive contests against teams currently in postseason spots.
Here’s where everything stands after Week 11.
Current NFC Playoff Standings:
1 – Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)
2 – Los Angeles Rams (8-2)
3 – Chicago Bears (7-3)
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4)
5 – Seattle Seahawks (7-3)
6 – Green Bay Packers (6-3-1)
7 – San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
8 – Detroit Lions (6-4)
9 – Carolina Panthers (6-5)
A Reminder on Seeding:
The top four spots in each conference go to the winners of the four divisions, with the wild card teams occupying the final three playoff spots.
The top team gets a bye in the first round, while the other six teams will duke it out in the wild card round.
If the Season Ended Today…..
The Bears currently are sitting in the third spot in the NFC standings, atop the NFC North.
If the season were to end today, they would face the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round at Soldier Field.
The Los Angeles Rams would face the San Francisco 49ers in another divisional showdown, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would host the Seattle Seahawks.
The Philadelphia Eagles currently own the top spot in the NFC, so they would have a first-round bye into the divisional round.
The Road Ahead for the Bears:
The Bears’ schedule features plenty of tough obstacles, and it gets started with a showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field on Sunday.
While it’s unclear whether the Steelers will have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, they do remain in the top spot in the AFC North standings, and are coming off a win over the Cincinnati Bengals with quarterback Mason Rudolph playing the second half of the game.
After that, the Bears face the NFC’s top team and the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles on Black Friday, followed by a road game against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
After a brief breather against the Cleveland Browns, the Bears face the Packers again at Soldier Field on December 20 before finishing their season against the 49ers and Lions, both of whom are in strong playoff contention down the stretch.
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