Quite literally right after the Chicago Bears took down the Cleveland Browns in Week 15, players were already looking ahead. Somehow, the Bears were locked in against Cleveland, but all the while, it seemed like they had something else on their minds.
It was probably borderline-impossible not to think ahead when Week 16 presents the Bears' rematch with the Green Bay Packers, and that's precisely what everyone was ready to talk about instead of the Browns game.
When head coach Ben Johnson was speaking to the Chicago media, he talked about the Green Bay matchup -- well, sort of. Johnson offered a pretty blunt and basic summation of this weekend's festivities.
"There doesn’t need to be much of a message here this week. They know. They know what’s at stake."
Finally, the Bears have a locker room and culture that understands. Johnson has done such a tremendous job instilling mental toughness and resilience into this group that they don't need a pump-up.
The Bears could clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Packers this weekend
...with a little help.
We've already covered this a bit, but for those who might be catching up, the Bears can actually secure their spot in the postseason in Week 16 if two things happen, one of which is a win over the Packers.
The second? Oh, it's the most hilarious and ironic bit of help the Bears have ever received.
Chicago needs Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the Detroit Lions. If they do that, and the Bears beat Green Bay, then the Bears are in.
It's that simple.
As for how feasible it may be to beat the Packers at home, the Bears are looking at a Green Bay squad that is awfully beat-up this time of year. Not only have they lost star pass rusher Micah Parsons to a torn ACL, but the Packers could also be without several players.
Their latest injury report shows the Packers had a whopping nine estimated "DNP" statuses, which of course stands for "did not practice."
The most notable of those, by far, is starting right tackle Zach Tom. If he doesn't go, the Packers will be without one of the better tackles in the league on Saturday night. Christian Watson is also a crucial piece to the puzzle, and his status looks gloomy as it stands.
Read more: Pat McAfee went all facts and no filter on Ben Johnson's viral Bears motto
Could the stars be aligning for Chicago to get their get back?