With double-digit wins in a season for the first time since 2018, the Chicago Bears' first season under head coach Ben Johnson can already be marked as a success. Taking care of business as they did in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns has pushed a playoff spot toward inevitability, albeit with three challenging games left in the regular season.
Three of the Bears' four losses this season have been to division opponents. They've already attained a season split with the Minnesota Vikings, with games coming against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16 and the Detroit Lions in Week 18. A loss in either one of those games could cost them the division title, and losing both almost surely would.
ESPN's Seth Walder took a run at projecting the rest of the regular season, and the resulting playoff picture, heading into Week 16. He projected the Bears to beat the Packers on Saturday night, but with the Lions projected to win the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago's playoff odds "only" increased to 95 percent.
Bears' rest of season 'dream scenario' can absolutely happen
A win over the Packers in Week 16 would, of course, go a long way toward bolstering the Bears' odds to win the NFC North. The game between their two home division games to end the season, Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers, stands to be consequential to how the NFC playoff seeds turn out. But the Bears may not need to win that one to win their division.
Beating the Packers and the Lions would give the Bears 12 wins this season, and unequivocally clinch their first NFC North title since 2018. As dream scenarios for them over the rest of the season go, as landed on by Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report, that easily takes the cake.
"Wins over both the Packers and Lions at home to clinch the team's first NFC North title since 2018 would make this a dream maiden season for Ben Johnson in Chicago."
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When it comes down to it, the Bears' "dream scenario" for the remaining three weeks of the regular season is right in front of them to make happen with no help from other teams. At this time of the year, controlling your own destiny in terms of playoff chances, playoff seed, etc., in that kind of fashion is an enviable position to be in.