Chicago Bears fans didn’t necessarily expect a playoff run this season.

There was optimism, sure — mostly centered around the development of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and what first-year head coach Ben Johnson could bring to Chicago’s offense. But even with that excitement, it’s still a rookie head coach leading a team that won just five games last year.

The Bears were better on paper across the board, but for this group to overcome a loaded NFC North and a tough schedule, a lot would need to break their way.

Vegas set the Bears’ preseason win total at 8.5 — right in line with fan expectations. Most people figured somewhere in the 7–9 win range felt realistic: respectable, competitive, but not quite playoff caliber.

Bears fans just wanted to see progress, but whether they admit it or not, those expectations shifted after Chicago’s 4–2 start.

The Bears rattled off four straight wins and were set to face Baltimore backup quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley. Maybe that’s why the loss to the Ravens drew so much criticism — more than it probably deserved. Fans started to think about the playoffs, and they knew dropping that game would make the path much steeper. They weren’t wrong.

According to Pro Football Focus, Chicago has faced the 10th-easiest schedule so far but will now play the ninth-hardest the rest of the way. The Bears still have four divisional games left, along with matchups against Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. None of those are easy outs.

As we sit here on Halloween, October 31, 2025, the playoffs are still very much within reason — but only if the Bears take care of business this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Much like the Ravens matchup, this was not a game Bears fans expected to win when the schedule first came out. But with Joe Burrow out — and possibly Joe Flacco, too — the door is open for Chicago to take advantage and keep pace in the NFC race.

When you look around the conference, there are seven teams clearly ahead of the Bears right now. That means Chicago will likely have to track down teams like the Lions, Rams, or 49ers for a Wild Card spot. It won’t be easy. Realistically, the Bears need to reach 10 wins to have a shot — which means going at least 6–4 the rest of the way.

If we assume losses to powerhouses like the Eagles, Lions, and maybe one of the Packers games, then matchups like this one against Cincinnati almost become must-win situations.

The Giants and Vikings are both winnable games, too. If the Bears can overcome some of their injury issues and get away with a win this weekend, they could realistically be sitting at 7–3 — and the city will be buzzing once again about returning to the playoffs.

If not, and they fall to 4–4, it won’t be the end of the world on paper. There’s still plenty of football left. But as you look down the stretch of this schedule, it will be hard to see a world where the Bears end up a top seven team in the NFC. This is one Chicago simply can’t afford to let slip away.