Some fans might take a bit to get over that one, but the Chicago Bears are quickly on to the next. They have to be. There is no other option when the NFC playoff race is this tight.
In gut-wrenching fashion, the Bears dropped their first matchup with the Green Bay Packers this season. It's hard not to pin the outcome on one play, but Caleb Williams' late interception proved to be the game-sealing play. It was difficult to stomach.
After the game, head coach Ben Johnson was asked about the playoffs. The Bears dropped from the NFC's top seed to No. 7, the very last spot, after just one loss.
"We’ll be a playoff team once we earn enough wins to become a playoff team. So, right now, we’re a nine-win team. I don’t think nine wins is going to get you in this year. We got to do what we can to get enough wins to find a way to get into the tournament," he told the Chicago media following the game.
Ben Johnson quickly shuts down Bears playoff buzz after loss to Packers
Well, there you have it. Johnson doesn't want to think about the playoffs right now. With four games to go, it would be easy to start thinking postseason if you were him. But, taking a look at the playoff standings, it'd also be hard to bank on the postseason at the moment.
Chicago still has the potential to win the NFC North, let alone make it into the postseason. There is hope not just for one, but two excellent outcomes in the coming weeks. But, they're going to need some help while also playing their best football of the season.
You might think next week is going to get a little easier, judging by the Cleveland Browns' record of 3-10. But a team fresh off being eliminated from the postseason doesn't have much else to lose at this point.
Johnson is right not to think about the playoffs, especially with the league's most feared quarterback mercenary coming up in Myles Garrett. The Bears' offensive line has improved, but it'll be tested like never before against the league leader in sacks, Garrett.
The Bears also still have to play the Packers and Lions once more, giving them a pair of tough divisional opponents to take care of. And, of course, they've got to play San Francisco. The 49ers are another NFC contender, right now, holding the same record as Chicago.
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The playoffs are a long way from now. Johnson has every right to cast aside talk of the postseason. Nothing is guaranteed, and after a brutal loss like this one, the Bears have to gather themselves and focus on the following week at hand.