The Bears are officially headed to the playoffs, and the focus now shifts to seeding, the NFC North, and a potential first-round bye.
Take a deep breath, Chicago.
With the Detroit Lions losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Bears have officially clinched a spot in the NFC playoffs.
Detroit falls to 8–7 on the season, making it mathematically impossible for them to catch Chicago—even if the Lions win out and the Bears lose their final two games.
And ironically, the Bears punching their playoff ticket comes thanks to arch nemesis Aaron Rodgers, who led the Steelers offense with 266 passing yards and one touchdown. An improbable touchdown going into halftime from Rodgers to Kenneth Gainwell tied the game at 10-10 and completely flipped the momentum.
Jaylen Warren also had a big afternoon, finishing with 143 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Rodgers' had the ball with a chance to ice the game, but Chris Boswell missed a chip shot field goal, giving Detroit had one last gasp with a chance to win.
A late pass interference call extended the Lions' drive. Then a tripping penalty gave Detroit an additional 15 yards.
A touchdown to Amon-Ra St. Brown was called back by offensive pass interference. Then, in the most chaotic finish possible, another touchdown negated by offensive pass interference resulted in a game-ending foul.
Ultimately, it was a 29-24 win for Pittsburgh.
Mike Tomlin’s team improved to 9–6 with the win, clinching yet another winning season. Tomlin is now in his 19th year as an NFL head coach and has still never finished a regular season below .500.
But just because the Bears are in the dance doesn’t mean they can take their foot off the gas.
There’s still plenty to play for—most notably seeding, which could end up being consequential once the playoffs arrive.
The Bears can clinch the NFC North with another win against either the San Francisco 49ers or the Detroit Lions. If the Green Bay Packers lose another game—they finish the season against the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings—that alone would also clinch the division for Chicago.
The Bears are also still alive for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
If Chicago wins out and finishes 13–4, and the Seattle Seahawks lose one of their final two games (against the Panthers or 49ers), the Bears would claim the top seed, earn a first-round bye, and secure home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. In that scenario, the road to Super Bowl LX would run straight through Chicago.
For once, Bears fans found themselves rooting for Aaron Rodgers on Sunday—and the future Hall of Famer didn’t disappoint.
It’s a massive weight lifted off the shoulders of the Bears and their fans. The playoffs are no longer in doubt. That’s a pretty great early Christmas present.