The Chicago Bears were finally able to do something they haven't really be successful at doing over the past season: dominate a team they were truly better than.
It was a blowout to remember as the Bears took down the Cleveland Browns 31-3 in Week 15 action with all three phases getting the job done. The defense forced three turnovers and the offense nearly had 400 yards of offense to capture their 10th win of the season.
Now with the toughest three-game stretch ahead of them, Bears head coach Ben Johnson and his team is aware of the challenge that is ahead of them.
"Our guys understand it," Johnson said via CHGO. "They know where we are in the season. They know what's out in front of us and they know how competitive the NFC is. It doesn't take much from the head coach at this point. They get it. We got some veteran leaders. They've been here, they've done that, they've won games, they've been close before. I think we got a really good big picture view of where we are and where we're going and what we need to do in the here and the now."
Bears are about to prove the haters right or wrong with these final three games
Looking at the playoff picture, the Bears are sitting on top of the NFC North, thanks to the Green Bay Packers losing to the Denver Broncos. Chicago is also in the second seed slot in the NFC, one game behind the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bears have a brutal final three games of the regular season to play that will truly show if this team is for real or just pretenders. Chicago still has to play the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Detroit Lions.
Brutal might not even be the word to use for that schedule.
Green Bay is right behind Chicago in the NFC North at 9-4-1, and the 49ers are 10-4 on the season and can very easily find themselves at the top of the NFC. While the Lions are on the outside of the playoff picture, they are still 8-6 and very much in the hunt for the playoffs if they win out.
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Nobody in Chicago should feel comfortable just yet about the postseason, but even if the Bears can win two out of three games to close the season, they would send a strong message to the NFL that they are for real and a threat in the playoffs.