Bears Have Easier Playoff Path Than Lions

If you want to know how important Sunday’s Bears vs Lions game is, look no further than their schedules going forward.  If the Bears can pull off the victory, they pull even with the Lions with 6-3 records and I’d argue that the Bears have an easier route to secure one of those coveted Wild Card spots.  Check out their remaining schedules on the other side of the jump.

Home games in CAPS.

Both teams still have home games with the struggling Chargers and trips out to Oakland and Lambeau, so let’s call those a wash.  The Lions have home dates with the Panthers, the Packers  on Thanksgiving and the Vikings and a trip to New Orleans upcoming.   The Bears get the Seahawks and Cheifs at home while they still have to head out to the Mile High to see what this Tebowing phenomena is all about and start 2012 in Minneapolis.

A lot can happen and I’m assuming that their common games are a wash, but it just seems like the Bears have easier opponents on the way out.  The Bears’ road games are not as difficult as the Lions – Denver compared to New Orleans anyone?

It could get really interesting in Weeks 16 and 17 as the Packer host the Bears and Lions respectively.  If the Pack have home field and the #1 seed wrapped up, would the Packers play their starters to try to keep a divisional rival out of the playoffs?  They more than anyone know the significance of just making the playoffs and getting hot at the right time.   For the Bears and Lions, it could very well be that the road to the playoffs goes through Green Bay.

The second half of the season and push for the playoffs starts for the Bears on Sunday.  A win means they pull even with Detroit and allows them to control their playoff destiny.  A loss doesn’t keep them out of the playoff picture but it suddenly makes them more vulnerable.