Clip and Save: Will Bears Miss Playoffs?!?!
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There’s always one. You know, the guy raining on the parade. While Bears fans are puffy chested and checking airfare to Dallas after a thrilling 31-26 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan isn’t convinced the Bears are ready for prime time. In fact, he thinks the NFC North-leading Bears will miss the post-season. Let’s look into his logic a bit after the jump.
Kirwan seeds the top 6 teams in each conference and adds one other team to the mix from each conference as the possible slide-in in case one of his top 6 slip up. Kirwan has the Bears are the #7 seed in the NFC. Let me boil down Kirwan’s rankings and how the stretch run in the NFC sets up.
1. Atlanta Falcons
Current Record = 9-2
Remaining Games: Home vs. New Orleans and Carolina; Away at Tampa Bay, Carolina and Seattle
Remaining Opponents’ Record = 22-33
Projected Record 12-4
2. Green Bay Packers
Current Record = 7-4
Remaining Games: Home vs. San Francisco, New York Giants and Bears; Away at Detroit and New England
Remaining Opponents’ Record = 29-25
Projected Record 12-4
3. Philadelphia Eagles
Current Record = 7-4
Remaining Games: Home vs. Houston, Minnesota and Dallas; Away at Dallas and New York Giants
Remaining Opponents’ Record = 22-33
Projected Record 11-5
4. St. Louis Rams
Current Record = 5-6
Remaining Games: Home vs. Kansas City and San Francisco; Away at Arizona, New Orleans and Seattle
Remaining Opponents’ Record = 26-27
Projected Record 8-8
WILD CARDS
5. New Orleans Saints
Current Record = 8-3
Remaining Games: Home vs. St. Louis and Tampa Bay; Away at Cincinnati, Baltimore and Atlanta
Remaining Opponents’ Record = 31-24
Projected Record 12-4
6. New York Giants
Current Record = 7-4
Remaining Games: Home vs. Washington and Philadelphia; Away at Minnesota, Green Bay and Washington
Remaining Opponents’ Record = 28-27
Projected Record 10-6
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
7. Chicago Bears
Current Record = 8-3
Remaining Games: Home vs. New England and New York Jets; Away at Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay
Remaining Opponents’ Record = 31-24
Projected Record 10-6
Kirwan’s Bears analysis:
"Too close to leave out of the picture, especially since they currently sit in the No. 2 spot. The Bears defense is excellent, but the offense is inconsistent. They are hot right now with four straight wins, but they still have three road games and their two home games are against the Patriots and Jets. The remaining schedule is against teams with a 31-24 record. I project the Bears to go 10-6."
It’s hard to believe that 10 wins would keep the Bears out of the playoffs, but stranger things have happened. When all is said and done, it could come down to the head-to-head tie-breaker loss with the Giants or that last game in Lambeau to decide if the Bears qualify for the postseason. The good news? The Bears control their own destiny, so keep winning and they can prove Kirwan, along with the scores of other doubters, dead wrong!