Windy City Gridiron
Week 18 came and went, which means the NFL playoffs are right around the corner. Over the last four seasons, the final week of the season has meant one of two things for Chicago Bears’ fans.
This year, things are finally different. The last few weeks have been hectic. The Bears both clinched a playoff spot and won the NFC North without actually playing in the game that decided it. In Week 17, they clinched the division on a Saturday Night and then lost an offensive slugfest the following evening. No matter how it happened, fans are just glad to get at least one extra game this season to see where the Bears really stack up heading into another pivotal offseason. Although Sunday’s game didn’t mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, both head coaches wanted to finish strong, and for Chicago, a chance to lock up the No. 2 seed and host the Packers next weekend was on the line. We’ll talk about all of that, and more, in our final regular-season installment of 10 Bears Takes.
1. Sunday Afternoon’s Season Finale Capped Off An 18-Week Magic Carpet Ride That Started In Disaster, But Ends With More Optimism Than Anyone Expected Coming Into Week 1.
When I woke up on Sunday, it was the first time in three years that I wasn’t immediately diving into my phone to prepare for Black Monday. Last year, we already knew the Bears would be in the head-coaching mix, but there was little faith that their process would lead to the right choice. A year before that, many fans held their breath, hoping the organization would shock the world and hit the reset button after just two years under former head coach Matt Eberflus.
Sunday morning (and this entire weekend) has been quite the 180 from all of that, though. Fans were able to tune into a pair of meaningful games on Saturday without any anxiety or the feeling of wishing their favorite team was still in the mix. Although there was seeding on the line for Sunday in Chicago, fans could watch comfortably knowing that their favorite team was guaranteed an extra game next weekend.
For as fun as this season has been, it sure didn’t start that way. Following a disappointing Week 1 loss at home to the Minnesota Vikings, they were thoroughly embarrassed in Detroit by Ben Johnson’s former team. Despite all of the optimism surrounding the Bears’ future, their 0-2 start felt like a brutal reality check that maybe this roster wasn’t ready to compete for a playoff spot.
Even if things haven’t always been pretty (or easy) along the way, the Bears reeled off an 11-2 record following their 0-2 start. In a season where a Wild Card spot began to feel like a pipe dream, the Bears clinched their first division title in seven years,...
