Did a Loss to the Lions Hurt the Bears as They Look Towards the Playoffs?
The Chicago Bears were unable to finish their exciting regular season on a high note, losing to the Detroit Lions 19-16 on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. They’ll officially end the season 11-6 and with the second seed in the NFC. The Washington Commanders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, allowing Chicago to keep its spot as the second seed despite the loss. The Bears’ offense would struggle in the first half, going scoreless and losing 16-0. They were able to rally in the second half, however, with quarterback Caleb Williams leading his offense to two touchdown drives, including successful two-point conversions to tie the game 16-16. After safety Kevin Byard intercepted quarterback Jared Goff to give the Bears back the ball with four minutes remaining, the offense had the opportunity to go down and win the game. The Lions’ defense held strong and gave their offense the ball back with their own chance to win the game. Goff delivered, leading them down the field into field goal range, where kicker Jake Bates ended the game 19-16.
The loss ultimately meant nothing in the grand scheme of things for the Bears when it comes to seeding and record. However, Chicago is now on a two-game losing streak heading into their first playoff game since 2020. They’ll also now be taking on the Green Bay Packers, a team that has had their number for the past decade. While they only allowed 19 points, the Bears’ defense was struggling once again, allowing 433 total yards of offense. This is coming off last week, where they allowed 496 yards and 42 points. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense has become a liability on this Bears team, leaving Green Bay licking its chops at another opportunity to play them once again. The good news for the Bears is that they were able to defeat the Packers last time around.
In the second matchup of the season between the Bears and Packers, Chicago clawed their way back to defeat Green Bay in overtime. Williams has had great success in his four games against their rival, throwing for 815 yards, five touchdowns, and only one interception. The Packers have also been without their quarterback, Jordan Love, since the last time they played the Bears, potentially leaving him to start slow in his first game back. The Bears will also have a returning wide receiver, Rome Odunze, and potentially cornerback, Kyler Gordon. Head coach Matt Lafleur opted not to play his starters this week against the Minnesota Vikings, allowing them to heal and rest, but potentially also coming out slow after not playing for a week. The third matchup between these two teams proves to be the most interesting matchup yet between the two teams, and should be the most exciting one for the fans.
