Chicago Bears can clinch NFC North with win over Eagles
By Mike Dyce
The Chicago Bears are playing the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night and there is a lot on the line. Heading into the game both teams could use a win, though the game is more meaningless for the Philadelphia Eagles. No matter what happens in this game, the Eagles still need to beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 to advance.
For the Bears they can clinch the division with a win over the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Since the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions lost on Sunday, a win would move the Bears to 9-6 and give them a two game lead over the Packers with just one game left.
If they don’t win they can still win the division. They’d stay ahead of the Packers (7-7-1) with an 8-7 record. The Bears and Packers play in Week 17 in a game that would decide the outcome of the division.
The Bears would rather lock it up tonight though.
NFC North division’s standings heading into Sunday Night Football (from ESPN.com):
| NFC NORTH | W | L | T | PCT | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | STRK |
| Chicago | 8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 5-2-0 | 3-4-0 | 2-3-0 | 4-6-0 | 406 | 391 | +15 | Won 2 |
| Green Bay | 7 | 7 | 1 | .500 | 4-3-1 | 3-4-0 | 2-2-1 | 5-5-1 | 384 | 400 | -16 | Lost 1 |
| Detroit | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | 4-4-0 | 3-4-0 | 4-1-0 | 6-5-0 | 382 | 362 | +20 | Lost 3 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 10 | 1 | .300 | 4-3-0 | 0-7-1 | 1-3-1 | 3-7-1 | 377 | 467 | -90 | Lost 1 |