Bears have two paths to the NFC playoffs

The Chicago Bears have two simple paths to clinch a spot in the NFC playoffs in Week 17.

No one thought the Chicago Bears would even be in the playoff conversation in Week 17, but here we are. A 5-1 start to the NFL season turned into a slump that forced many to hand head coach Matt Nagy his walking papers. But then, they caught on with a two-game winning streak entering this weekend, and kept their once slim-playoff chances into clearer view.

After the Arizona Cardinals lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, the Chicago Bears entered Sunday with their playoff fates in their own hands. Then, the Bears defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 41-17 blowout. With this win, the Bears can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17 with a win or a Cardinals loss.

Win and Chicago’s in

It’s really simple for the Bears, if they defeat the Green Bay Packers in their regular-season finale, they clinch an NFC Wild-Card spot. But if Chicago can’t defeat the NFC North rivals, they can still get in if the Cardinals lose to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Bears would’ve had a better chance of clinching a playoff spot if the Packers had clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC this weekend. But with that off the table following the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Rams, the Packers will look to clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs with a Week 17 victory.

As mentioned earlier, the Bears went on a six-game losing streak following their 5-1 start to the season. But they rose from the ashes like a phoenix with wins over the Jaguars, Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings. Some credit can be given to the play of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who showed improvement after getting benched for Nick Foles. That, and Nagy surrendering offensive play-calling duties to coordinator Bill Lazor. The turned out to be the recipe for success.

So there you have it Bears fans. These are the playoff paths to look out for in Week 17.