This Chicago Bears team is in unfamiliar territory, playing postseason football for the first time in five years, and no one is taking it for granted.
Members of the Bears have spoken out about what it means to play in the Wild Card. Guys like Montez Sweat, who is only making his second appearance in a playoff game, and DJ Moore, who hasn't even been in a playoff game since high school.
As for Bears head coach Ben Johnson, this is the third straight year he's coached in a playoff game, after doing so with the Detroit Lions as their offensive coordinator the last two years. Even with those appearances and runs fresh on his mind, Johnson is appreciative to be in the spot that he is in.
"Each year is its own story, and you fight your tail off over the course of the offseason and during the season to put yourself in this situation,' Johnson said via 670 The Score's Chris Emma. "And I certainly don't take it for granted, and I know our players don't either. ... We're all in with everything we're doing, the here and the now."
Bears knows the responsibility and privilege it is to be in the postseason
There is a weight the Bears franchise has to carry this year: being in the playoffs for the city of Chicago. Bears tight end Cole Kmet talked about it earlier this week and knows how important it is to win in it.
"I think Chicago is just a city deeply rooted in history, which is awesome, and it’s what makes it such a special place. But that being said, we want to build our own history here."
It was a stellar season for the Bears as they went 11-6, won the NFC North, and held the number-two seed in the conference. Their Wild Card game will not be easy as they take on the Green Bay Packers, a team they have faced twice already, with the series being split 1-1.
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This has been a good reminder for the Chicago Bears players that they need to embrace the moment of being in the playoffs, as it doesn't come around very often. If it were Johnson's choice, this would become the new normal for the franchise and the Windy City.