Chicago Bears: Six games that will make-or-break the Bears’ playoffs hopes

Week 16: Rams (9-5) @ Seahawks (10-4)

Root for: Both, depending on your faith?

With a Rams victory: CHI get GB in Week 17 with nothing to play for (w/ GB win vs. TEN + a NO loss)
With a Seahawks victory: Forces Rams into potential Week 17 elimination game (w/ CHI win vs. JAX)

The phrase “any given Sunday” took on a whole different meaning in Week 16, when the Artists Formerly Known as the Los Angeles Rams walked into their home stadium as 17-point favorites and fell victims to the biggest upset since 1995. A win would’ve enveloped their playoff aspirations. Now, they’ve got a bit to play for.

Here’s something worth knowing right away: in the event that there’s a three-way tie where the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, and Arizona Cardinals all finish with a 9-7 record, the spots would belong to the Bears and Cardinals in that order.

So, if you have faith in both: (1) the Rams losing to the Seahawks here, and then in Week 17 to the Cardinals, and (2) the Cardinals losing to the 49ers and then beating the Rams in Week 17, root for a Seahawks victory.

It’s probably safer and smarter though to root for the Rams in this game. This essentially makes any chance the Seahawks have of the No. 1 seed null-and-void, which means it belongs to the Packers.

As noted previously, this means the Packers would have little to play for in Week 17, with the addition of a Saints loss.

The game itself looks to be in favor of the Seahawks if early returns tell us anything. The Rams are going to be without one of their top committee backs in David Akers, and the Seahawks are counting on production from recently-activated former All-Pro receiver Josh Gordon.