The NFC makes no sense this year. There are four or five teams at the top that stand far above the rest of the pack. After that? It is a jumbled mess. Nobody needs any further evidence than the Chicago Bears. According to the NFL Playoff Picture, they are 14th in the conference following Sunday’s games with a 4-7 record. However, the current 7th seed in the postseason outlook is the Minnesota Vikings, who now have a record of 5-6.
In other words, despite everything the Bears have been through in the past two months they are somehow just one game out of the playoff race. Not only that, but they have a number of matchups with teams that are also chasing that last seed. This includes two against the Vikings and another against the New York Giants who have the same record as them. With a timely win streak and some good luck, could the Bears pull off a stunner?
That will come down to the next two games.
There are eight teams – Vikings, Falcons, Saints, Eagles, Panthers, Washington, Giants, Bears – within one game of the seventh NFC wild-card spot (currently held by Vikings), and a Seahawks win tomorrow night would make it nine.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) November 29, 2021
Right now this team doesn’t look anything like a playoff contender. They lost five straight games going into Thanksgiving and barely beat the winless Detroit Lions. Their defense is banged up and the offense has yet to score more than 24 points in a game this season. This could be a big problem considering they’re facing the two best teams in the conference over the next two weeks. The Arizona Cardinals and then the Green Bay Packers.
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Does anybody think this team is prepared to conquer that stretch with this roster and a head coach in Matt Nagy who is on the hot seat? That is unlikely. Still, this is the NFL. Crazy things happen all the time. A win on Thanksgiving coupled with 10 days off to heal some nagging injuries might provide them with just enough momentum to upset the Cardinals at home. Then at Lambeau Field maybe they can find a little magic.
If by some minor miracle they pull that off? The Chicago Bears would have all sub-500 teams the rest of the way in Minnesota, New York, and Seattle. This is Nagy’s last stand. His survival instincts have proven strong in the past. It will be fascinating to see if he can make something happen.
