What the Bears Victory Means for the Playoffs
The Chicago Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 19-17, on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. The division rivals would meet again after the Vikings got the better of the Bears in a Week One comeback victory in the fourth quarter. Chicago had control for most of this game once again, carrying a 16-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Nearly identical to their first matchup, the Vikings once again managed to regroup in the final quarter and take the lead 17-16 with under one minute remaining. Unfortunately for Minnesota, a big kickoff return from Devin Duvernay set the Bears up in field goal range. Kicker Cairo Santos trotted out for Chicago and nailed the game-winning field goal to put Chicago at 7-3 on the season.
Not only has Chicago now won seven of its last eight games, but it has also earned its first divisional win of the season. They currently sit atop first place in the NFC North, awaiting the result of the Sunday night matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions. The Bears’ defense was the star of the show in the victory against the Vikings, providing two interceptions and keeping Chicago in it despite a frustrating day for the offense. The Bears now have an over 60% chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, in only Ben Johnson’s first year as a head coach. While they have continued to win, they’ve had their struggles that could’ve easily spun this season into the same results as last year. Fortunately for Chicago, this season was always about learning how to win.
The Matt Eberflus-led Chicago Bears last season were 5-12, losing multiple one-score games in heartbreaking fashion. Fast forward one year, and it has become the complete opposite with quarterback Caleb Williams and his team learning how to win close games. They haven’t been pretty, but under a first-year head coach, the results have been some of Chicago’s best in a very long time. They also continue to win without some of their best players on the field, like cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. As the Bears look ahead to the rest of the season, they are now in playoff contention with multiple starters returning from injury very soon to give them the boost they need.
